The City of Fayette received a grant from the Missouri Public Utility Alliance to support upgrades to the city’s electric system during the regular Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, August 22. Fayette’s grant award of $48,469 is being used to help fund the city’s program to upgrade to new electric meters.

Fayette is a member of the Missouri Public Energy Pool (MoPEP), and the grant is a part of the MoPEP Power Infrastructure Modernization Grant Program.

“Electric distribution infrastructure projects like Fayette’s boost the reliability of the local system,” said John Twitty, President and CEO of the Missouri Public Utility Alliance. “Upgrades like these also contribute to making the entire MoPEP partnership more efficient and reliable.”

The MoPEP Power Infrastructure Modernization Grant Program helps MoPEP member hometown utilities invest in long-term capital assets of their local electric systems to improve the reliability and efficiency of their systems. Since 2015, the grant program has funded more than $3.2 million in infrastructure improvements.

“There was some extra money at one point, so they decided that it would be best if they spent that money improving all of the electric distribution systems so that everyone’s system was strong and they could reliably serve power,” MPUA representative Connie Ford told the council.

“It’s such a great thing that you guys are continuing to build your electric system,” she told the council. “Everything that you do to serve your citizens is great. I applaud your efforts.” 

MPUA brings together 120 hometown utilities for the collective good. It supports community-owned, locally controlled electric, water, wastewater, natural gas, and broadband utilities in Missouri and beyond. MPUA provides utilities with energy supply, training, advocacy, and technical support.

The Missouri Public Energy Pool (MoPEP) is a group of municipal electric utilities that purchase power collectively through their participation in the Missouri Electric Commission (MEC), 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.