The City of Albemarle has received recognition in several areas of electric operations.

ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., has announced the 16 recipients of the 2020 Public Power Awards of Excellence. The awards align with ElectriCities’ strategic priorities and Albemarle has been recognized for achievement in the areas of communicating the value of public power, grid modernization, workforce development and wholesale power cost.

“The commitment and dedication that North Carolina’s public power providers demonstrate to their local communities is extremely impressive,” said ElectriCities CEO Roy Jones. “They are constantly working, in ways big and small, to deliver better service and more value to the millions of North Carolina businesses and homes served by public power.”

“When all the elements behind the scenes come together to consistently provide reliable and affordable power, it is easy to take for granted,” Albemarle City Manager Michael Ferris said. “I am very proud that our organization and employees are being recognized for their efforts.”

Mayor Ronnie Michael added: “On behalf of myself and the Albemarle City Council, we want thank our employees for their continual dedication and hard work to provide reliable public power. Recent disasters striking Stanly County clearly demonstrate the value of locally owned and operated electric systems with dedicated local personnel to respond. This is a clear example of the value of public power.”

The City of Albemarle received awards in four out of the five categories. The award areas include:

Value of Public Power Award — The award highlights communities that communicate the value of electric system ownership to key stakeholders.

Wholesale Power Cost Award — This recognizes communities that provide competitive and stable wholesale electric rates that meet the power supply need of Power Agency Members.

Workforce Planning and Development Award — Award honors communities that promote a workforce plan to attract, develop and retain the necessary human talent to provide safe, reliable power and lead public power forward.

Grid Modernization Award — Focuses on promoting investment in public power communities’ electric distribution systems and in technology to ensure safety and reliability, as well as exceeding customer expectations.

About ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc.

ElectriCities is a membership organization including public power communities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. ElectriCities also provides management services to North Carolina’s two municipal power agencies: No1th Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number l and North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency.