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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 105%;">CITY OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI<br />P.O. BOX 6015 COLUMBIA, MO 65205</p></div>
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<h2 style="font-size: 200%;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</h2>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">May 2, 2018</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 75px; font-size: 120%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Tobias Sellier
<br />American Public Power Association
<br />202-467-2927
<br />MediaRelations@PublicPower.org
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<br />Lucia Bourgeois
<br />Water & Light
<br />573-874-7685</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:200%;"><h3 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 170%;">Columbia Water & Light recognized as a reliable public power provider</h3>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display:inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Columbia Water & Light is proud to announce they were awarded with two designations from the American Public Power Association (APPA) that recognizes the utility for providing reliable electric services to Columbia residents.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Columbia Water & Light earned a Diamond level Reliable Public Power Provider (RP</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">3</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">®</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> designation from the APPA for providing reliable and safe electric service. Neil James, chair of the Association’s RP</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">3</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Review Panel, presented the designations on April 30 during the Association’s annual Engineering & Operations Technical Conference held in Raleigh, North Carolina.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The RP</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">3</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> designation, which lasts for three years, recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development and system improvement. There are three levels, Gold is for utilities that meet 80-89 percent of the RP3 program criteria; Platinum is for utilities that meet 90-98 percent of the criteria; and Diamond is for utilities that meet 98-100 percent of the criteria. Since 2007, Water & Light has received five designations in this program, one Gold level award and two Platinum award levels. However, this year Water & Light received the top designation for the first time of Diamond level, joining more than 240 public power utilities nationwide that hold an RP</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">3</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> designation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"This designation is about more than just reliability. It’s about operational excellence," James said. "These utilities and their communities should be proud to represent the best of the best in the areas of reliability, safety, workforce development and system improvement."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Columbia Water & Light also received national recognition from APPA specifically for reliability. The Association helps members track outage and restoration data through its subscription-based eReliability Tracker service, and then compares the data to national statistics tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all types of electric utilities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Public power has a strong track record of reliability, according to the Association’s Senior Vice President of Engineering Services Michael Hyland. Nationwide, the average public power customer has their lights out for less than half the time, compared to other types of utilities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"This recognition helps demonstrate public power’s commitment to reliable electric service," </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hyland said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We are very proud to receive both of these recognitions. It is a testament to the hard work and the commitment to excellence that the employees of Columbia Water & Light have to provide safe and reliable electric service to our customers," Columbia Water & Light Electric Distribution Manager Fred Eaton said.</span></p>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The American Public Power Association has offered the RP</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">3</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> designation for 13 years. The Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 49 million people in 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. The Association advocates and advises on electricity policy, technology, trends, training, and operations. </span></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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