Missouri public power utility Rolla Municipal Utilities has been awarded a $500,305 grant from the Missouri Public Utility Alliance.
This funding will be used to replace seven 15kV pad-mounted switchgear units, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the local electric system, MPUA noted.
The Missouri Public Energy Pool Power Infrastructure Modernization Grant Program has supported member utilities in investing in long-term capital assets and has funded over $3.5 million in infrastructure improvements.
The provided funding for this project will not only strengthen RMU’s system reliability and resilience, especially in the face of severe weather events, but also benefit all 35 MoPEP member cities by improving overall operational outcomes, MPUA said.
Steve Stodden, President and CEO of MPUA, presented RMU with the grant.
Stodden also delivered a Certificate of Excellence in Reliability, which the utility was awarded by the American Public Power Association for its performance in 2024.
RMU is one of only 256 utilities nationwide, and one of just 15 in Missouri, to receive this honor.
“RMU's strength lies not just in a reliable utility system, but in a resilient community that stands behind it,” Stodden said. “These awards reflect a history of excellence, and the way Rolla has come together in recent adversity is a powerful reminder of what a hometown utility and its community can achieve together.”
“MPUA brings together 120 hometown utilities for the collective good. We support community-owned, locally controlled electric, water, wastewater, natural gas, and broadband utilities in Missouri and beyond,” it noted in a news release about the grant and the APPA award.
MPUA provides utilities with energy supply, training, advocacy, and technical support. "We’re proud to collaborate with communities to achieve our mission of strengthening hometown utilities and improving the local quality of life," it said.
MoPEP is a group of municipal electric utilities that purchase power collectively through their participation in the Missouri Electric Commission, a non-profit commission established in 1979.
The MoPEP group began operations in 2000 and has grown from 19 municipalities to 35 since that time.
MoPEP includes the following Missouri cities: Albany, Ava, Bethany, Butler, Carrollton, Chillicothe, El Dorado Springs, Farmington, Fayette, Fredericktown, Gallatin, Harrisonville, Hermann, Higginsville, Jackson, La Plata, Lamar, Lebanon, Macon, Marshall, Memphis, Monroe City, Odessa, Palmyra, Rock Port, Rolla, St. James, Salisbury, Shelbina, Stanberry, Thayer, Trenton, Unionville, Vandalia, and Waynesville.
