ROCHELLE – Rochelle Municipal Utilities was recently recognized by the Illinois Municipal Utilities Association (IMUA) for earning a first-place rating in its division in the 2024 American Public Power Association’s (APPA) “Safety Awards of Excellence” competition. The utility was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Reliability from APPA for their achievements last year.

IMEA/IMUA/IPEA President & CEO Kevin Gaden announced the awards during the Association’s 2025 Annual Conference on Thursday, May 15, in Springfield.

Rochelle Municipal Utilities earned the Diamond Award in the APPA’s Group C Division (systems with 30,000 to 59,999 worker-hours of exposure).  The municipal utility was one of only six IMUA Member municipalities to win the award and one of 202 public power utilities nationwide to be recognized for safe operating practices during the past year. Awards and recognition are based on system size, reportable work-related injuries, and overall work hours and worker exposure without a lost-time accident or injury. 

The utility also received the APPA’s “Certificate of Excellence in Reliability.” This certificate was given to utilities that placed in the top 25 percentile of reliability nationwide, as measured against the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) data.

Organized in 1948, IMUA is a not-for-profit trade association which represents the unified interests of, and provides services to, 50 municipalities that own and operate electric, natural gas, water, wastewater treatment and telecommunication systems throughout Illinois.