Missouri River Energy Services Unveils Program To Raise Awareness Of Public Power

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
August 13, 2022

Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) unveiled its new MRES Ambassador Program to members during its annual meeting. The program is intended to raise the awareness of public power and the value of membership in MRES through community and policymaker education in member communities.

Participating ambassadors will receive a quarterly package of information and talking points on a particular topic of interest. A short webinar on the topic will be held to discuss the topic further and answer any questions the ambassadors may have.

Armed with this information, the ambassadors will proactively advocate for public power and joint action in their communities with key influencers over coffee, lunch, or while attending civic clubs or community events, MRES noted in an Aug. 5 news release.

The MRES Ambassador Program is one of several efforts by MRES to help their members communicate the value and benefits of their local public power utility, as well as the benefits of belonging to the larger organization of 61 utilities working for the common good, it said.

It builds on the ongoing Value of Public Power communications campaign which has provided quarterly marketing materials and monthly social media posts for member use since 2018. In addition, the Municipal Power Advantage® program, which launched in 2013, provides members with a detailed analysis and report of the economic value of all the benefits the local electric utility provides to the community.

MRES is an organization of 61 member municipalities in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Each member owns and operates a municipal electric utility.

MRES, which provides its members with energy and a wide range of energy-related services, held its annual meeting this past spring.