COLUMBUS, OH: The 2024 American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) Annual Conference took place in Columbus Sept. 30-Oct. 2 and provided attendees with a full schedule of educational sessions led by industry experts.
The conference began with welcome remarks by AMP President/CEO Jolene Thompson that focused on AMP’s strategic priorities over the next five years and topics such as long-term grid reliability, the growth of data centers and the resulting impact on the grid. Thompson then led a panel discussion on the trends impacting public power with Scott Corwin, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA); and APPA Board members Dave Carroll, Paducah Power System CEO and AMP Board of Trustees Chair; Ed Krieger, Piqua Power System Director and AMP Board of Trustees Member; and Jason Grey, City of Danville Utilities Department Director. In another panel, AMP COO and AMP Transmission President Pam Sullivan, led a discussion on changing customer expectations with John Courtney, owner of Courtney & Associates; Don Harrod, Village Administrator of Minster; Mike Miller, Village Administrator of Brewster; and Kimberly Schlichting, President and CEO of the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation. The group shared their experiences and perspectives on the changing expectations and demands of industrial and commercial customers.
The conference also featured a session with former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chair Norman Bay, Co-Chair of the Energy Commodities Group and Head of the Energy Regulatory Practice at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP; former FERC Chair Richard Glick, Principal at GQS New Energy Strategies; and former FERC Commissioner Bernard McNamee, Partner at McGuireWoods. The former regulators provided unique perspectives on the current challenges facing regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and markets. In addition, the conference featured an economic outlook session presented by John Augustine, Chief Investment Officer of Huntington Private Bank, and Ian Wyatt, Senior Vice President, Director of Economics and Commercial Bank Strategist of Huntington Commercial Bank.
Throughout the conference, participants heard from various experts, including a session on emerging trends in energy storage led by Jake Berlin, Vice President of Integrated Storage Solutions for Stem, Inc.; a presentation on emergency action planning by Chris Burton, General Manager of the Princeton Electric Plant Board. Conference attendees also heard an update on the current state of the energy and gas markets from Michael Gehring, Director of Portfolio Management and Analytics for The Energy Authority; and learned about the latest activity in Congress and the opportunities and challenges affecting public power in a session featuring Rob Talley, President of Talley & Associates, Inc.
In addition to the sessions and events, AMP held its General Membership Meeting on Oct. 1.
AMP Board Seats and Board Elections
During the AMP General Membership Meeting, an election took place for four expiring at-large AMP Board of Trustees seats. The AMP Member communities of Bryan, Montpelier, Oberlin and Orrville were re-elected to three-year terms.
Following the General Membership Meeting, the AMP Board of Trustees met to elect officers for the coming year. The following were re-elected to leadership positions:
- Chair – Dave Carroll, City of Paducah
- Vice Chair – Brian O’Connell, PE, City of Bowling Green
- Secretary – Edwin Porter, City of Hamilton
- Treasurer – Chris Monacelli, City of Westerville
AMP Seven Hats Award
Kirk Behrman, Utilities Superintendent for the Village of Deshler, received the prestigious AMP Seven Hats Award, which was announced during the Awards Banquet on Oct. 1. Initiated in 1984 to recognize utility managers who serve smaller communities, the AMP Seven Hats Award is presented annually to an official in a community of less than 2,500 electric meters. Award winners show skill in seven areas: planning and design, administration, public relations, field supervision, accounting, personnel or employee direction, and community leadership.
Read the full Seven Hats Award news release here.
AMP Service Distinction Award
Established in 2021, the AMP Service Distinction Award recognizes individuals, employees of Member public power utilities, partners or consultants who have made significant contributions to public power and support the mission, vision and values of AMP.
AMP Member community representatives submit nominations for the Service Distinction Award throughout the year, and the AMP General Membership approved a resolution honoring the following recipients during the annual AMP General Membership Meeting:
- Jeff Badger, Borough of Grove City
- Frank Comeriato, City of Hudson
- Randy Genzman, Village of Oak Harbor
- Kevin Gladden, Village of Genoa
- Jeff McHugh, City of Painesville and City of Cuyahoga Falls
- Bruce Metz, Village of Jackson Center
- Jay Myers, AMP and City of Cuyahoga Falls
- Steve Dupee, AMP, Village of Wellington and City of Oberlin
- Don Smithberger, City of St. Clairsville
- William C. Lyren, Jr., City of Wadsworth
Throughout the conference, AMP also announced several awards given to AMP Member communities in the categories of electric system sustainability, innovation, public power promotion, safety and system improvement.