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May 1, 2009 | John Utterback named AECI’s 2008 Safety Person of the Year at New Madrid Power PlantContact : Nancy Southworth 417.885.9246 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SPRINGFIELD, MO – Associated Electric Cooperative has named John Utterback as Safety Person of the Year at New Madrid Power Plant for his decisive action last year to ensure the safety of employees and prevent equipment loss at the power plant. The annual Safety Person of the Year award is given to an employee who demonstrates a commitment to and knowledge of safe work practices. Each plant’s safety committee selects the Safety Person of the Year from a list of 12 Safety Persons of the Month, who are nominated by power plant employees. When equipment failure in the switchyard occurred at the plant in August 2008, causing one unit to come off line and another to lose significant production, Utterback became the incident commander and took immediate charge during the blackout. He worked diligently with staff to restore power to the plant as safely and quickly as possible, said his nominators. “I'll tell you right now, there is nothing more assuring than having someone like John Utterback on your side during a blackout,” said the employee who nominated him for the safety award. “This was a prime example of how concerned with safety our shift and assistant shift supervisors are, not only in emergency situations but in everyday plant operations. John talks to us about being safe and makes sure if we have any nonroutine jobs that we do them safely.” Staff had the power back on at the plant in about four hours; however, none of Associated Electric Cooperative’s member-customers experienced loss of power due to the cooperative’s diverse mix of generating resources with reserves and a transmission system that allows it to buy power when needed to ensure reliable service for its member cooperatives. Photos available on request. Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. is owned by and provides wholesale power to six regional and 51 local electric cooperative systems in Missouri, southeast Iowa and northeast Oklahoma that serve more than 875,000 customers. AECI’s mission is to provide an economical and reliable power supply and support services to its members, including the new “Take Control & Save” energy efficiency program, www.TakeControlAndSave.coop. AECI is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V Released: 01 May 2009 |
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