WMGLD receives Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) designation from APPA

        
Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (WMGLD) Chief Engineer Carl Lemiesz (second from left) accepts the American Public Power Association (APPA) Platinum Level Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) award from Paul Allen, (left) RP3 Panel Chair, Vice President Operations (Engineering), Nashville Tennessee Electric Service; Alejandra Franco, (second from right) APPA Engineering Services Coordinator; and Marc Gerken, APPA Board Chair, President/CEO, American Municipal Power, Inc. of Columbus, Ohio. Lemiesz accepted the award on behalf of the department at the annual APPA Engineering & Operations Technical Conference held recently in Omaha, Nebraska.

(Wakefield, MA) – The Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (WMGLD) has been awarded a Platinum Level Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) designation from the American Public Power Association (APPA).   The award distinguishes the WMGLD as one of only 5% of the more than 2,000 public power utilities in the nation to be recognized for providing its customers with the highest degree of reliable and safe electric service.

            WMGLD Chief Engineer Carl Lemiesz accepted the award on behalf of the department at the annual APPA Engineering & Operations Technical Conference held recently in Omaha, Nebraska.

            “The RP3 designation represents a high-level of service to communities all over the country,” Paul Allen, chairperson of the APPA RP3 Review Panel said in presenting the award to Lemiesz during the conference. “These utilities stand out as models of safe and reliable utility operations.”

            Now in its sixth year, the RP3 designation is valid for two years and is awarded to public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development and system improvement. Utilities seeking this designation must complete an application documenting their practices in these four key areas. Utilities are awarded points for their practices in each area based on sound business practices and a utility-wide commitment to safe and reliable delivery of service.

            “The RP3 designation is significant because it enables municipal electric utilities to examine their performance against measurable standards and then be recognized when that examination proves that they are performing at a high level based on the stringent criteria,” WMGLD General Manager Pete Dion said. “That means that we were evaluated on such factors as operational safety practices, outage management, system planning, capital investment, emergency preparedness, investment in advanced technology, employee training and work force development, among many others.”

WMGLD Board of Commissioners Chairman Jack Warchol added, “The WMGLD staff and management team work hard to provide safe, reliable and cost effective service to our community.  We are honored to receive this designation which recognizes this hard work and commitment to our customers.”

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APPA is a national organization representing more than 2,000 not-for-profit community and state owned electric utilities.

For information about the WMGLD or the Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3), visit the WMGLD website at www.wmgld.com or call 781-246-6363.