Naperville's Electric Utility Receives National Public Power Award

American Public Power Association's E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award Honors City for Achievement and Customer Service, Notes Naperville Smart Grid Initiative

The City of Naperville is proud to announce the Department of Public Utilities-Electric received the American Public Power Association's (APPA) E.F Scattergood System Achievement Award at the national APPA conference held in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. Department of Public Utilities-Electric Director Mark Curran accepted the award on behalf of the City.

The E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award honors APPA members' utility systems that enhance the prestige of publicly owned utilities and emphasize customer service. Nominees for the award were asked to demonstrate sustained utility system performance that was widely recognized in the public power field.

APPA acknowledged Naperville's commitment to continuous infrastructure improvement over the past 15 years and how this has set the groundwork for the City's Naperville Smart Grid Initiative (NSGI), an investment in the utility that will prepare Naperville for an increased demand on the City's electrical grid and the future of energy conservation. This exciting project involves a combination of utility infrastructure upgrades, operational efficiencies and new tools and programs designed to give customers more choices and control over their energy use.

In addition, APPA noted the City's efforts to upgrade its electric distribution system during that same time period, a move which resulted in nearly 95 percent of the utility's facilities being located underground today. The City's 80-mile fiber optic system is part of a nearly 900-mile underground network of electric distribution facilities, with the fiber optic backbone supporting the NSGI as well as the City's water and wastewater utility.

For more information on the NSGI, visit www.naperville.il.us/smartgrid.aspx. For more information on the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us. Sign up to receive the latest news on the City of Naperville's projects and initiatives via e-mail at www.naperville.il.us/enews.aspx.