PWC Connections: The Podcast

PWC earned our second Smart Energy Provider Award from the American Public Power Association for demonstrating a commitment to and proficiency in energy efficiency, distributed generation, and environmental initiatives that support the goal of providing safe, reliable, low-cost, and sustainable electric service. Carolyn Justice-Hinson (PWC CCR Officer) and Tim Stankiewicz (Principal Engineer - Pla...

PWC truly understands that our people are our greatest assets! As the largest municipal public power system in North Carolina, Fayetteville’s Hometown Utility takes pride in being a good neighbor who is committed to quality services, reliability, conservation, safety and the environment. Bobby Russell, PWC HR Officer, discussed the employee environment, upcoming events (Veteran's Day Employee Brea...

October celebrates Customer Service Week (Oct. 4-8) and PWC celebrates the importance of Customer Service and the people who serve and support our customers on a daily basis. Bevan Grice , Director of Customer Service, joined us in "The Bucket" to chat about his career journey, customer service changes since COVID, and the various account options we offer our customers. Tune in and get connected!

Darsweil L. Rogers was appointed to the PWC Board in Sept. 2013 and reappointed for a second four-year term, which is reaching it's conclusion (Sept. 2021). Rogers has a wealth of knowledge especially as an entrepreneur, consultant and coach. He has brought over 30 years of experience advising management teams and running businesses in the board room. Rogers joined us in "The Bucket" to share his...

Electric vehicles (EVs) are progressively becoming viable competitors to gasoline-powered automobiles. Virtually every automaker now either offers one or more EVs or has them coming soon. Battery technology is improving steadily, and EVs are becoming more affordable. If you're thinking of purchasing an EV or just want to know more about them, Janelle Rockett (PWC Key Accounts Agent) joined us to a...

The Light Up Navajo initiative was a pilot effort to bring together volunteer crews from public power utilities across the country to connect Navajo homes to the grid. The project has extended for Light Up Navajo II and Light Up Navajo III. Even though the 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic, PWC helped bring electricity to homes of 300 Navajo families. Jon Rynne , Electrical Systems Chie...

National Water Quality Month (August) reminds us to take a moment to consider how important our water sources are not just to us as humans, but all inhabitants of these ecosystems— whether it’s the fish that live in the waters or the plants and animals that rely on lakes and rivers for water just like we do. Jason Green , PWC W/R Treatment Facilities Manager, joined us to discuss the PWC water tre...

PWC received an American Public Power Association (APPA) Sue Kelly Community Service Award in June 2021. The award recognizes “good neighbor” activities that demonstrate an organization's commitment to the community. PWC General Manager Elaina Ball accepted the award during the APPA's annual conference and joined us for this episode to detail the purpose of the award and the breakdown the communit...

Individuals and communities as a whole can take an active role in protecting their water sources from contamination. PWC operations and maintenance staff at our Water Treatment Facilities are committed to providing safe, high quality water for our customers. Rhonda Locklear , PWC Water Resources Environmental & Compliance Manager, joined us this episode to discuss the process of monitoring and...

Today’s competitive business environment requires companies to go above and beyond in order to recruit and retain top talent. Organizations are thinking outside of the box to offer creative perks for top performers. PWC ( Business NC - 2021 Best Employers in NC ) is always looking to add value by recruiting and hiring the best talent! Jennifer Bullard (Senior HR Advisor) and Adrian Clarke (HR Advi...

To help prepare your home and/or business facility in the event of a hurricane, there are a few preparation steps necessary. Ike Copeland , PWC Director of Legal, Risk, & Procurement Services, joined us to discuss his time with PWC, lessons learned from previous emergency situations, and hurricane preparation from a risk management perspective. With hurricane underway, this episode is a great...

Building better business relationships is important to PWC! Our Procurement/Purchasing Department proactively attends events to spread awareness of the business opportunities available with Your Hometown Utility. Mark Cannady (Risk, Procurement, & Contract Analyst) and Lexi Hasapis (Local Vendor Procurement Analyst) joined us to discuss the upcoming Building Business Workshop, the new vendor p...

May is National Electrical Safety Month. PWC participates in this annual effort by continuing to educate our customers and community about the steps that can be taken in order to reduce the number of electrically related fires, fatalities, injuries and property loss. Lance Gray, PWC Electric Substation Crew Leader and seasoned electric professional, joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss the im...

Fayetteville PWC has received national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability and a huge part of that is our lineworkers. Lineworkers build and maintain the electric system that keeps our nation running! Two of our Hometown Heroes, Ben Raynor and Ricky Cyrus, joined us to discuss their roles on the electric line crew and share some insightful advice for anyone who might be inte...

PWC reminds everyone that it's important to make the proper tree selection and to plan ahead to protect the utility lines (electric, water, and sewer) in our community, as well as lines that provide other services. Mark Falcon (PWC Urban Line Clearance Program Supervisor) joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss removing undesired vegetation, protecting overhead electric lines' right-of-way, and other...

March is National Procurement Month, and PWC utilizing this time to celebrate the efforts of our procurement and purchasing professionals as well as educate the taxpaying public on the value this division brings to our organization. Lexi Hasapis, Local Vendor Procurement Analyst, joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss bid opportunities, focusing on doing business locally, and upcoming business growt...

Household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, so each March (3rd week) PWC and the EPA focuses on tracking down the leaks during Fix-A-Leak Week. Finding and fixing leaks inside and outside your home can save valuable water and money all year long . Chad Groves and Gary Faircloth joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss their experience with tracking down leaks and...

The 2021 Texas power crisis is an ongoing crisis involving massive power outages, water and food shortages, and dangerous weather conditions. The crisis has been the result of two severe winter storms sweeping across the United States in mid-February. Reportedly, more than 4.5 million homes and businesses in Texas were left without power, some for several days. PWC General Manager/CEO Elaina Ball...

Engineers Week (3rd week of February) is dedicated to building a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing the understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Misty Manning (PWC Water Resources Engineer Manager) and Joel Valley (PWC Electric Service Support Service Manager) joined us in "The Bucket" to discuss their discovery of engineering and how t...

When temperatures drop, it takes more energy to heat your home. The more difference there is between the temperature outside and the thermostat setting inside, the harder your heating system will work and the more energy it will use, even if you don’t turn the thermostat higher. Homes that don’t have enough insulation, homes with single-paned or aluminum-framed windows, and homes with a lot of air...

Our 1st episode of 2021 is with the newly appointed PWC CEO/General Manager Elaina Ball . In this fun episode, we welcome Elaina to “The Bucket” and discuss her transition from Texas, her career journey in utilities, and why PWC was good fit. We also talk about some of Elaina’s early community involvement with the Fayetteville Running Club , encouraging employees to be smart and safe during the pa...

After nearly 11 years at PWC and a total of 40 years in the utility industry, CEO / General Manager David Trego is retiring on Dec. 31st.  Trego joined us in "The Bucket" for the 1st episode of the podcast and fittingly he joins us again to say farewell. In this conversation, Trego reflects on his career, notable accomplishments while at PWC, and his thoughts on the incoming CEO / General Man...

When the occasional electric outage occurs, PWC has a restoration plan to provide the fastest response possible. Certain work and repairs have different time requirements and equipment needs to safely restore service. PWC is introducing our Outage Management System (OMS) and an Electric Outage Map to provide a big assist in the restoration process. Andre Couture (Corporate Development) jumped in "...

PWC is a proud, chartering member of the Partnership for Safe Water ; which was developed jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency , American Water Works Association , utilities, and other water organizations. The Partnership strengthens the relationship of the government, utilities, and water organizations to continue working together to ensure the quality of public drinking water. In 2000,...

Before the holidays arrive and we close out the year, Your Hometown Utility wanted to be sure to share and discuss some helpful customer tidbits. So in this edition, hosts (Courtney and Lamont) chat about Time-of-Use Winter Peak, Community Solar, new Customer Call Center hours, 2021 Connected to Conservation Calendars, the new CEO and more. This is a good ole conversation of good information. Get...