The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) has announced that nominations are now open for the 2018 SEPA Power Players Awards.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) has announced that nominations are now open for the 2018 SEPA Power Players Awards.

Since their inception in 2005, these awards have provided industry and general public recognition to electric utilities, their partners, individuals and other stakeholders in the United States who are at the forefront of transforming the electric power sector toward a clean energy future.
The 2018 awards will honor utilities, individuals and other stakeholders in seven categories:
• Investor-owned Utility of the Year
• Public Power Utility of the Year
• Electric Cooperative Utility of the Year
• Innovative Partner of the Year
• Power Player of the Year (individual)
• Change Agent of the Year
• Visionary of the Year
"The past year has seen an exponential acceleration in the pace of change across our industry, which in turn is driving both new challenges and innovative solutions," said Julia Hamm, SEPA President and CEO. "The SEPA Power Player Awards want to capture and amplify dynamism, leadership and compelling stories, including those that often pass under the radar."
Recent, noteworthy Power Players include
• Gil C. Quiniones, 2017 SEPA Power Player of the Year. Beyond gaining great media attention for leading the charge to make New York Power Authority (NYPA) the first fully digital utility in the nation, Gil was instrumental in the creation of the Build Back Better report for Puerto Rico.
• CPS Energy, SEPAs 2017 Investor-Owned Utility of the Year. CPS Energys Chief Operating Officer, Cris Eugster, was appointed co-chair of the Transformation Advisory Council (TAC) by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).
• Ouachita Electric Cooperative (OECC), 2017 Electric Cooperative Utility of the Year. This small Arkansas co-op has attracted interest from utilities around the U.S. for its unique collaboration with its largest industrial customer - defense contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne - solar developer Silicon Ranch and the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Corporation (AECC).
• The Village of Minster, 2016 Public Power Utility of the Year. This Ohio town of about 3,000 residents brought a solar-plus-storage project online, with 4.2 megawatts (MW) of solar, 7 MW of storage and four different revenue streams. Minster was the first public power authority to develop a project of this kind and has become model for other cities and towns interested in solar and storage.
To submit a nomination or for more information, visit SEPAPower.org. The deadline for nominations is March 16. The 2018 Power Players winners will be recognized at the annual awards dinner, July 10, during SEPAs Grid Evolution Summit in Washington, D.C.
Contact Corinne St. Laurent at cstlaurent@sepapower.org or 202.753.8929 for additional information.

About SEPA
The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) is an educational nonprofit working to facilitate the utility industrys transition to a clean energy future through education, research, standards and collaboration. SEPA offers a range of research initiatives and resources, as well as conferences, educational events and professional networking opportunities. SEPA is founder and co-sponsor of Solar Power International and winner of the Keystone Policy Centers 2016 Leadership in Energy Award. For more information, visit www.sepapower.org.