Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1155029
14 UCW AUGUST 14-20, 2019 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM e city of Fayetteville's hometown utility has received the American Public Power Association's E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award. e award honors the Public Works Commission and other APPA member systems that have enhanced the prestige of public power utilities through sustained achievement and customer service. It's considered the most prestigious award given by the public power association. "It was a great honor to accept the award for PWC," said PWC Chairman Darsweil Rogers at the national conference in Austin, Texas. "Anytime our public power peers acknowledge the hard work of the staff, it reaffirms what the commis- sioners already know, which is that we have a tal- ented and dedicated group of employees serving our community." PWC's achievements noted in the award in- cluded a system-wide conversion to advanced electric meters and the conversion to LED street- lights. It installed four free electric vehicle charg- ing stations. Time-of-use electric rates, a new customer web portal providing customers direct access to utility usage data, advanced customer payment options, and incentive programs were PWC customer-focused initiatives that were also recognized by the APPA. PWC has also begun the installation of North Carolina's first public solar power farm. Community support and involvement also contributed to PWC's recognition, including PWC's partnering with Fayetteville Technical Community College to establish a local line- worker program and being recognized 13 times by the local United Way. "While the award is given by APPA, because of its focus on customer service it is a reflection on PWC as a total organization providing electric, water, wastewater service as Fayetteville's Home- town Utility," said PWC CEO/General Manager David Trego. is is the second time PWC has been recognized with the APPA's top award. During the APPA national conference, PWC also received the Energy Innovator Award. e award recognizes utility programs that have demonstrated advances in the development of creative, energy-efficient techniques or technolo- gies, providing better service to electricity cus- tomers or projects that increase the efficiency of utility operations or resource efficiency. PWC has developed an innovative way to locate electrical faults in its electricity distribution system. "is method is about reliable electric service because it enables us to identify locations where electrical faults occur when it is not possible to see where the problem exists." said Rick Anderson, PWC electric system engineering manager. is has allowed the utility to limit outage dura- tions, reduce callouts and enhance the quality of life for its community. Improved reliability has resulted in savings on labor costs, vehicle maintenance, fuel, vegetation management and electrical component maintenance. In addition to benefiting PWC operations, the method will be available to other utilities while potentially benefiting public power customers throughout the nation. PWC has earned the Energy Innovator Award three times since 2010. Recent events are reminders that hurricane sea- son has begun. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018 are reminders that inland North Carolina is susceptible to storm damage. PWC of- fers online plans to help you and your family stay safe in the event of a hurricane or another emer- gency. At Fayetteville PWC, an emergency plan of operations is in place and can be implemented on a moment's notice. For information, go to the Storm Central page at FayPWC.com. Public Works Commission receives national award by JEFF THOMPSON NEWS (910) 678-8309/8431 To view course schedules and register online: 1. Visit www.faytechcc.edu 2. Select WebAdvisor at the bottom of the page 3. Choose Continuing Education 4. Search using a keyword from your preferred course Tap into your creative side with our self-enrichment programs! FTCC Corporate & Continuing Education • Academic & Test Prep • Art • Cooking • Crafts • Financial Planning • Floral/Gardening & Landscaping • Furniture Upholstery • Motorcycle Basic Rider (*register at: www.LearnFTCC.com) • Music & Dramatic Arts • Needlecrafts & Sewing • Personal Interest • Photography • Recreation • Volunteer Training