MUSCATINE, Iowa–Across the country, Municipal utilities face unique challenges as they work to provide high quality services to their communities. Each year, the American Public Power Association, an organization that represents municipal utilities and also promotes best practices, offers awards celebrating excellence in several areas. All members may apply in any category, and the association will judge them against other utilities of similar sizes.

This year, Muscatine Power and Water once again received the Smart Energy Provider Designation. They also received three additional awards, the Excellence in Web/Social Media Award, the Award of Merit in Print/Digital Design, and the Award of Merit in Video. Energy Services Advisor Paul Burback and Marketing and Sales Manager Mitch Zytnowski attended the American Public Power Association’s recent Customer Connection Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona to receive the awards in person.

Every two years, American Public Power Association members may apply for the Smart Energy Provider Award. Muscatine Power and Water received its first Smart Energy Provider Award in 2019 and welcomed the opportunity to apply again this year.

Director of Utility Service Delivery, Ryan Streck credits two programs for helping them receive the award again, as well as the Energy efficiency and Distributed Energy Programs Award. The Choose Green Muscatine program, originally started in 2018, allows residential and now business customers to pay one extra penny per kilowatt hour on either 25%, 50%, or 100% of their electric use to buy renewable energy offsets, which has encouraged the utility to invest more in green energy, such as the solar field they have planned for the Grandview Wellfield. The Early Adopter electric vehicle rebate, which provided five $1,500 in only three months to electric vehicle purchasers in 2020 and has given out four more since then also incentivized customers to make environmentally conscious decisions by making electric vehicles more affordable to them.

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Steck welcomed the awards, as he sees them honoring Muscatine Power and Water’s commitment to providing sustainable energy into the future rather than just focusing on reliability, the way many awards do. “With the smart energy provider award, it means that we’re forward thinking,” he said. “I think we’re doing the right things.”

Two other projects earned Muscatine Power and Water its communications awards. Earlier this year, Muscatine Power and Water created a new website to better communicate with customers. With more interactive elements, local content, and a focus on customer’s most frequently asked questions, Cox felt honored that the American Public Power Association chose to honor its improvements. “Customer communication within the American Public Power Association is a really important mission for us,” she stated.

Muscatine Power and Water’s “Powering the Future” video also received commendation. The engaging video shares how the electric utility plans to transition to more green energy holdings and to replace their coal fired power plant with a natural gas combined heat and power plant. “APPA found it a great way to connect with customers and tell our story in an engaging way,” Cox shared. “I’m super proud of the marketing team–they put a lot of heart into it,” she added.