ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., presented 15 North Carolina communities with Public Power Awards of Excellence at ElectriCities’ 2023 Annual Conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The awards reflect public power’s strategic priorities, recognizing exceptional achievement during 2022 for the following categories: Future-focused, Strengthen Public Power, Provide Superior Power, Customer-centered Innovation, and People.
To continue the celebration, we’re sharing more about each award category and highlighting a few of the communities whose efforts stand out. As you learn about the endeavors in public power communities throughout our region, it becomes clear that excellence lives here.
The Provide Superior Power Award celebrates communities that deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electric power.
Communities that received this award created programs that benefit the municipality and the customers while providing the safest, most reliable power.
2022 Winners:
- Fayetteville PWC
- Greenville Utilities Commission
- Kinston
- New Bern
- New River Light & Power
- Rocky Mount
- Tarboro
- Wilson
Wilson Energy, the City of Wilson’s electric and gas divisions, Provides Superior Power by implementing energy reduction efforts across its electric system.
Wilson Energy uses multiple touchpoints to reduce energy, including generators, load control switches, newly replaced capacitor banks, and voltage reduction. Wilson Energy also replaced all active street, area, and floodlights with energy-efficient LED luminaires.
Upon request, Wilson Energy customers can receive free residential energy audits. During these audits, Wilson Energy personnel show customers ways to lower their utility bills.
The City of New Bern Provides Superior Power by enhancing demand-side management efforts with demand response programs such as the City’s CONNECTS Load Management Rewards program. Customers who participate in the program receive credits on their utility bills for installing devices on water heaters, heat strips, air conditioners, and water sources such as pool pumps. The City also has an appliance rebate program for upgrading HVAC and water heaters.
New Bern’s dynamic electric vehicle charging rates encourage off-peak charging, further enhancing load management.
Continue learning about the excellence that lives here by reading about the Future-focused Award, the Strengthen Public Power Award, the Customer-centered Innovation Award, the People-focused Award, and the communities that exemplified them in 2022.