The City of Rock Port has received a grant from the Missouri Public Energy Pool (MoPEP), to support upgrades to the city’s electric system. The grant is a part of the MoPEP Power Infrastructure Modernization Grant Program.

Rock Port’s grant award of $14,812 is being used toward the cost of improvements to the electric distribution system, including part of the cost for utility poles and lines used for an ongoing project to upgrade the city’s distribution system voltage from 2,400 volts (2.4 kV) to 4,130 volts (4.13 kV).

“Rock Port’s upgrades will help improve the system’s reliability,” said Duncan Kincheloe, President and General Manager of the Missouri Public Utility Alliance. “Projects like Rock Port’s that enhance local infrastructure also help make the entire MoPEP partnership more reliable and efficient.”

This is the second grant the city has received from the MoPEP program. A previous grant was made in August 2015 for $10,387, which was used for part of Rock Port’s cost for engineering and design costs to modernize the city’s electric distribution system for higher voltage, build a new substation, and plan other system improvements.

The MoPEP Power Infrastructure Modernization Grant Program assists MoPEP municipal utilities to invest in long term capital assets of their local electric systems, to improve reliability and efficiency of electric infrastructure for systems supplied through MoPEP. Funds requested under the program must be used for improving assets and operations used in the electric utility.