TWO AMP AWARDS … Jason Rockey, Montpelier Village Manager (left); Tim Fry, Superintendent; Justin Houk, Deputy Manager; and Drew Shepard, Journey Lineman, from Montpelier Municipal Utilities, with the Safety Award and System Improvement-Grid Resilience Award that the utility received at the AMP Annual Conference. PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
PRESS RELEASE – COLUMBUS, Ohio: Montpelier Municipal Utilities was honored for its achievements throughout the past year during the 2026 American Municipal Power (AMP) Annual Conference. The utility received a System Improvement Award and a Safety Award, and it was announced that a utility employee will receive a Hard Hat Safety Award.
Montpelier Municipal Utilities received the System Improvement Award in the Grid Resilience category, which recognizes projects or initiatives that strengthen grid reliability, enhance cybersecurity, or improve disaster preparedness for public power systems, resulting in overall improvement to electric service and reliability to customer-owners. The utility received the award for its Downtown Madison Street Project. This project modernized aging electric infrastructure in the heart of the village’s downtown commercial district, while also creating a looped distribution system, allowing power to be supplied from multiple directions and circuits.
The utility received a Safety Award in the Transmission and Distribution category, which recognizes public power distribution divisions for a year with no time loss due to reportable accidents.
The Hard Hat Safety Award recognizes an employee who adheres to on-the-job safety procedures, promotes electric safety within their department and is 100 percent safety conscious. The Hard Hat Safety Award winner will be announced by the utility at a later date.
“Safety must be a priority at every level of a utility, from leadership to the crews working in the field each day,” said Michelle L. Palmer, PE, AMP Vice President of Technical Services and Compliance. “We commend Montpelier Municipal Utilities for its strong commitment to protecting its employees and fostering a culture of safety.”
The AMP Annual Conference took place Oct. 12-14 in Columbus. The organization’s premier event featured presentations and panel discussions by industry experts and speakers from AMP partner organizations.
ABOUT AMP: American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) is the nonprofit wholesale power supplier and services provider for more than 130 Members in the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia; as well as the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation, a joint action agency with nine Delaware municipal members. Combined, these Member municipal electric utilities serve approximately 665,000 customers.