Assistant Director of Electric John Worrell, Electric Planning Engineer Kyle Brown, and Assistant Director of Customer Relations Scott Mullis were instrumental in putting together GUC’s application to receive the 2020 Smart Energy Provider designation. They received the award during APPA’s virtual Customer Connections Conference in October. 

The American Public Power Association (APPA) recently recognized Greenville Utilities as a Smart Energy Provider (SEP) for demonstrating commitment to and proficiency in energy efficiency, distributed generation, and environmental initiatives that support a goal of providing low-cost, quality, safe, and reliable electric service. 

The SEP designation, which lasts for two years (December 1st, 2020 to November 30th, 2022) recognizes public power utilities for demonstrating leading practices in four key disciplines: smart energy program structure; energy efficiency and distributed energy programs; environmental and sustainability initiatives; and the customer experience. This is the second year APPA has offered the SEP designation.  

GUC joins 27 public power utilities nationwide that received the SEP designation in 2020. In total, 94 public power utilities nation-wide hold the SEP designation. 

GUC’s environmental and sustainable initiatives noted in the designation include:  DEED Grant for Utility-Scale Battery Storage Program, energy efficiency improvement funding for low-income to medium-income residents in the City of Greenville, supply-side energy efficiency programs, demand-side “Beat-the-Peak” load management program, an extensive offering of customer incentive programs promoting energy conservation, public electric vehicle charging stations as well as residential and commercial charging station rebates, a solar generation program, and a variety of environmental sustainability programs like paperless billing, voluntary green pricing, and land management to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous runoff, to name a few.  

GUC was also recognized for a number of local collaboration initiatives to improve environmental performance. A few examples include our Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station that partners with groups like East Carolina University to reduce emissions, an initiative to install solar panels at a high school, a conservation and wildlife refuge at our Wastewater Treatment Plant, natural gas peak shaving generators, and much more. 

The American Public Power Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. They represent public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the more than 49 million people that public power utilities serve, and the 93,000 people they employ.