Willmar Municipal Utilities recognized for reliable service to the community

WILLMAR — Willmar Municipal Utilities has received national recognition from the American Public Power Association for achieving exceptional electric reliability in 2022, according to a news release from the utilities.

The American Public Power Association is a trade group that represents more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities.

Willmar Municipal Utilities is a member of Missouri River Energy Services and one of 16 of their public power utility members to have earned this national recognition for 2022.

Electric reliability is measured using four different metrics. The 2022 results for Missouri River Energy Services member utilities were significantly better than those of other types of utilities in the region in every category, according to the release.

According to the American Public Power Association, the average U.S. electric utility customer experiences 140 minutes of interrupted electrical service per year — excluding major events such as snowstorms, floods or hurricanes, as defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

For Willmar Municipal Utilities, this number is just 24.3 minutes per year. Nationwide, the average public power customer has their lights out for less than half the amount of time that customers of other types of utilities do, according to the release.