AWARD FOR PIONEER … Al Fiser, Pioneer Council Member (left); Nikki Mittelstaedt, Pioneer Fiscal Officer; Pioneer Mayor Ed Kidston; Anthony Burnett, Village Administrator; and Joe Nickloy, Pioneer Council Member; with the System Improvement Award that the Pioneer Light Department received.
PRESS RELEASE (Columbus): The Pioneer Light Department 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 Safety Award, and it was announced that a utility employee will receive a Hard Hat Safety Award.
The System Improvement Award was 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. Pioneer Light Department received the award for its Lincoln Street Eastside Backlot Overhead to Underground Project. This project replaced an aging three-wire overhead electric system on Lincoln Street with a modern underground residential distribution system.
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 the Pioneer Light Department 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.