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Glynn Amburgey, Electric & Communications Manager Gary Sittler, Electric Foreman Tom Bruhl, Electric Distribution Division Manager Erika Drennan, Electrical Engineer Jim Malkowski, Electric Engineering Assistant Peggy Cordts, Senior Administrative Assistant

Electric Utility

The St. Charles Municipal Electric Utility began in 1892, when the City Council unanimously approved a payment to Phillip Harvey of $520 for preliminary work on a lighting plant that would establish a City electric utility with capacity to power 1,500 incandescent lights. Soon after, the entire male population of St. Charles (272) voted by a 2/3 majority to approve the plan and invest $20,000 in the building and steam generator.

This division has grown to over 120 Mega Watts of peak power usage with 6 substations serving over 12,000 residential and commercial customers. The substations receive power from suppliers like Exelon (ComEd) and the Illinois Municipal Electric Association (IMEA) at 34,500 volts and transforms it to the City's primary distribution voltage of 12,470 volts for distribution to step-down transformers supplying customer meters.

The Electric Utility is staffed by full- and part-time employees in several operation groups that provide specialized services, including:

• An electric administration staff that handles the administrative functions such as personnel, budgeting, power purchases, rate design, interdepartmental cooperation, city wide goal setting and participation on city committees.
• The electric engineering group, responsible for system design, maintenance programs, system mapping, and adherence to codes and standards.
• An electric line area that constructs and maintains the electric infrastructure.
• The electric metering area that installs and maintains the metering equipment.
• A telecommunications group is responsible for the installation, operation and maintenance of the City owned telecommunications infrastructure.