Register for an Upcoming Regional Meeting

We’re excited to announce four regional roundtable meetings for ElectriCities members coming up this month and next:

• Thursday, Sept. 29, in Smithfield, N.C.
• Thursday, Oct. 6, in Statesville, N.C.
• Thursday, Oct. 13, in Greenville, N.C.
• Thursday, Oct. 20, in Concord, N.C.

Attending a meeting is an excellent opportunity for mayors, council members, city and town managers, and key municipal staff to learn more about their local electric business and the strategic plan and priorities for regional public power the ElectriCities Board of Directors and ElectriCities CEO Roy Jones rolled out at the Annual Conference in August.

“As leaders and owners of an electric distribution system, you are in the unique position of managing a significant contribution to your municipality’s budget,” Jones wrote in an invitation memo to public power leaders. “These regional meetings will provide an opportunity to learn more about the strategic plan and how you play a role in ensuring your locally owned utility continues to serve your community and thrive.”

Meetings are from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Attendance is free and includes dinner. To ensure we have plenty of space and food, please register now for the meeting that’s most convenient for you.

If you have any questions about the meetings or registration, please contact Gregg Welch.

Tyler Berrier Named a Public Power Rising Star

At the 2022 ElectriCities Annual Conference in August, we recognized three individuals for their outstanding contributions to public power with the:

• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Distinguished Service Award
• Rising Star Award

Last week, we gave a huge shout of congratulations to the 2022 Public Power Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Steve Peeler.

This week, we’re cheering on the 2022 Rising Star Award winner, Tyler Berrier.

The Rising Star Award recognizes up-and-coming leaders who have less than 10 years of experience and who, in that relatively short time, have made significant and sustained contributions to the electric utility industry and to public power.

Berrier is most definitely that type of leader.

He started as a civil engineer in the City of High Point’s public services department in 2014 and worked his way up to Assistant Director of Electric Utilities for the City—a position he’s held since July 2018. Make that: a position he held from July 2018 until August 2022.

See, while presenting Berrier’s award at the conference, Randy McCaslin, who is a long-time High Point city leader and current Vice Chair of the ElectriCities Board of Directors, announced Berrier’s promotion to High Point’s Electric Utilities Director.

Rising star indeed. Cue the confetti!

From the outset, Berrier has been a leader in the department and the City. He helped guide technological advances, such as creating an online streetlight outage reporting system, and he has been one of the key leaders of the AMI project the City kicked off this year.

“Tyler’s not afraid to take on challenges and has always exhibited a willingness to learn,” said Assistant City Manager Eric Olmedo. “More important than anything, though, are his manner and personality. He’s very calm, collected, and rational, and he really thinks about the big picture when he’s talking about the electric utility in particular, but then also how that fits in within the City as a whole.”

Congratulations, Tyler!

Share Your Wins & Expertise at Connections Summit

Mark your calendar to join us for Connections Summit: March 7-9, 2023!

We’re gearing up for another informative, transformative, and interactive summit focused on how utility staff and technology drive the customer experience.

We’d like your input.

Submit a presentation proposal for a session that showcases successes and emerging trends in:

• Technology
• Management
• Customers
• Business operations

Especially valued are presentation proposals that highlight the priorities that are part of the strategic plan for public power in our region that the ElectriCities Board of Directors and ElectriCities CEO Roy Jones unveiled in August.

Summit attendees will include professionals from:

• Business Planning
• Communications
• Customer Service
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Information Technology
• Security
• Utility Operations

Don’t miss your opportunity to be an integral part of the 2023 Connections Summit. Submit a topic here before the Sept. 30th deadline.

It’s That Time Again: Apply for a Downtown Revitalization Grant

The fall application cycle for ElectriCities’ Downtown Revitalization Grants opened on Sept. 7! Eligible applicants have until Sept. 30 to submit for this competitive funding opportunity.

What it is: $10,000 to help achieve your community’s downtown revitalization goals 

Who it’s for: NCEMPA and NCMPA1 members

Information: Available once every three years to Power Agency members; not available in the same calendar year of a Smart Communities Grant. Use funds for projects such as:

• Public improvement projects
• Downtown redevelopment studies/action plans
• Streetscape and other downtown plans
• Building reuse studies
• Attraction or retention programs

Learn more and apply here before the Sept. 30th deadline.

If you have questions, contact Carl Rees, Manager of Economic and Community Development at ElectriCities.

Cool Weather Tips to Help Your Customers Save $

Though the speed of our transition to cooler temperatures varies from year to year, we know that at some point, we'll officially reach chilly and then downright cold.

That means it’s a great time to provide cool weather energy-saving tips and reminders to your customers.

Our “Warm Up To Savings” bill insert is perfect for that! Head to the Bill Inserts Request Form page on the ElectriCities website to request your free copies. And be sure to follow @ElectriCitiesNC on our social channels for useful tips you can share all year long.