Laserfiche WebLink
Elk River <br />Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING <br />TO: <br />FROM: <br />ERMU Commission <br />Mike Tietz —Technical Services Superintendent <br />MEETING DATE: <br />AGENDA ITEM NUMBER: <br />May 9, 2023 <br />1.6 <br />SUBJECT: <br />American Public Power Association RP3 Designation <br />ACTION REQUESTED: <br />Receive the APPA RP3 Designation <br />BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION: <br />I am thrilled to announce that Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU) has once again received <br />national recognition from the American Public Power Association (APPA) for being a Reliable <br />Public Power Provider (RP3). The RP3 designation recognizes public power utilities that <br />demonstrate proficiency in four key areas: reliability, safety, workforce development, and <br />system improvement. Criteria within each category are based on sound business practices and <br />represent a utility -wide commitment to providing safe and reliable electricity. <br />Currently, 271 of the nation's more than 2,000 public power utilities hold an RP3 designation, <br />and ERMU is just one of 109 utilities to earn an RP3 designation this year. There are three <br />designation levels based on scoring: Gold (score of 80-89%), Platinum (score of 90-97%), and <br />Diamond (score of 98-100%). ERMU is one of 37 utilities who received a Platinum designation <br />with a score of 90.5%. This designation will begin on May 1, 2023, and last for three years. <br />Receiving an RP3 designation is a sign of a utility's dedication to efficiently operating a safe and <br />reliable electric distribution system. Being recognized by the RP3 program demonstrates to <br />community leaders, governing board members, suppliers, and service providers a utilities' <br />commitment to its employees, customers, and community. This designation means that our <br />customers receive some of the best possible services in the country. <br />It also shows that we are committed to keeping costs low, improving best practices, and raising <br />the bar for other electric service providers. It means that we hire the best people, who are <br />dedicated to doing an exceptional job for ERMU and our community. <br />ERMU is proud of our reliability performance. In 2022, the average ERMU customer would have <br />experienced only 13.29 minutes without power, while the average electric customer within our <br />region would have experienced 98.67 minutes. ERMU conducts annual reviews of our system to <br />identify areas that may need improvement and performs ongoing vegetation management to <br />ensure that trees do not interfere with overhead lines. <br />Page Iof2 <br />0 <br />