MMWEC garners award from APPA

Date: 11/22/2010

LUDLOW -- The 2009 Annual Report of the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) has earned an award for excellence in communications from the American Public Power Association (APPA), the national organization of consumer-owned utilities.

Each year the APPA recognizes "high-quality annual reports that exhibit excellence in writing, design, photography, organization and creativity" while communicating a utility's unique message. MMWEC is among 11 utilities nationwide receiving annual report awards this year from APPA, which serves more than 2,000 public power utilities in the United States.

"The annual report is an opportunity for MMWEC to showcase its accomplishments to member utilities, the financial community, legislators and other key audiences," said MMWEC Chief Executive Officer Ronald C. DeCurzio. "It is a starting point for credit rating agency reviews and a valuable tool in educating our state and federal legislators about the many benefits of public power joint action," he said.

The theme of MMWEC's 2009 Annual Report, "Old Fashioned . But Not," highlights the organization's commitment to traditional public power values and its pursuit of innovative solutions to the challenges posed by greener energy policies, wholesale power market reforms and increased financial risks.

MMWEC and its member utilities "are true to their founding principles, respecting the tradition, value and responsibility that come with public ownership and control" of local electric services, the report states. "At the same time, enlightened by these traditional values, their approach to the complex challenges of today's electric power marketplace is far from old-fashioned," encompassing innovative renewable energy, financial and risk management initiatives.

"MMWEC is honored to receive the APPA award, which reflects the success of MMWEC initiatives as well as the organization's communications expertise," DeCuzio said. A copy of MMWEC's 2009 Annual Report is available on the organization's Web site at www.mmwec.org.