AMP Members Recognized for Reliability Excellence

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November 2020

AMP encourages its members to achieve recognition through the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) program. Receiving an RP3 designation demonstrates your public power system’s commitment to reliability, safety, workforce development and system improvement.

The RP3 program focuses on the health of the utility as a whole. While reliability is an important measurement of the success of a utility, there are several factors that impact a utility’s health, response time and sustainability as an organization. A few of the underlying benefits of achieving RP3 include enhanced preparedness for crisis, employee morale and better credit ratings, as well as an additional tool for economic development efforts of the community.

The RP3 program recognizes utilities that demonstrate high proficiency in four disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development and system improvement. In order for a utility to achieve RP3 designation, the utility must demonstrate success in each discipline. Additionally, the program sets requirements and processes to demonstrate a utility’s efforts and achievements in each discipline.

According to Kyle Francis, utilities superintendent for the Village of Versailles, “The RP3 program helps you to dig deeper into your system and ask, ‘are we doing all the things we need to?’ The process of applying for an RP3 designation requires each utility to conduct disaster drills annually, prepare crisis plans and conduct tabletop exercises – with the added requirement of proving the exercises were complete. These emergency preparedness exercises have helped our utility effectively respond to a number of crises over the years.”

AMP supports the APPA RP3 program in several ways. As part of AMP’s ongoing efforts to contribute to members’ success, AMP offers assistance to members throughout the RP3 application process by providing example documentation, reviewing applications, recommending ways to improve overall scores, entering outage incidents and more.

“AMP and our members understand the importance of system reliability and operational efficiency,” said Michelle Palmer, AMP vice president of technical services and compliance. “We commend the efforts of our members and send congratulations to all those awarded. The RP3 program is based on industry-recognized best practices, and utilities receiving the award have demonstrated a commitment to reliability and safety.”

The three-year RP3 designation provides members added value for potential new industrial or commercial customers and a benchmark to compare against other municipalities.

The following AMP member communities earned RP3 designation in 2020:

Diamond Level

• Bryan Municipal Utilities
• Cleveland Public Power
• Cuyahoga Falls Electric System
• Hamilton Department of Infrastructure
• Hillsdale Board of Public Utilities
• Hudson Public Power
• Minster Electric Department
• Paducah Power System
• Piqua Power System
• City of Wadsworth Electric and Communications

Platinum Level

• Bowling Green Electric Division
• City of Columbus, Division of Power
• City of Dover Electric Department (DEMEC)
• Coldwater Board of Public Utilities
• The Borough of Ephrata Electric Division
• Jackson Center Municipal Electric System
• Montpelier Municipal Utilities
• Napoleon Power & Light
• New Martinsville Municipal Electric
• Princeton Electric Plant Board
• St. Clairsville Light and Power Department
• Tipp City Municipal Utilities
• Village of Versailles Utilities

Gold Level

• Berlin (Md.) Electric Utility Department
• Town of Front Royal Electric Department
• Lansdale Electric Department
• Lewes Board of Public Works (DEMEC)
• City of Milford Electric (DEMEC)
• City of Newark Electric Department (DEMEC)
• Oak Harbor Public Power
• Orrville Utilities
• Painesville Municipal Electric
• Westerville Electric Division
• Wapakoneta Electric Department
• City of Seaford Electric Department (DEMEC)

If you have questions about the RP3 program or the assistance AMP provides, please contact Jennifer Flockerzie, manager of technical services logistics, at [email protected].