Idaho Falls mayor recognized for longstanding support of public power

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) named City of Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper as the 2022 Elected Official of The Year.

UAMPS, the joint action agency which provides comprehensive wholesale electric energy services to community-owned power systems throughout the Intermountain West presented Mayor Casper the award at its annual meeting in Salt Lake City on Wednesday. The award recognizes Mayor Casper’s ardent advocacy for public power on the local, state, national and even international levels.

“Mayor Rebecca Casper is a worthy recipient of our Elected Official of the Year Award,” said Mason Baker, incoming UAMPS CEO and general manager. “We have greatly appreciated her support of UAMPS, our Carbon Free Power Project, and public power in general. Her expertise, articulate advocacy, and all-round enthusiasm have been inspirational. We’re glad she’s on our team.”

Mayor Casper serves as the board chair of Idaho Falls Power. Prior to her election in 2013, Mayor Casper was appointed by Idaho Governor Otter to the statewide Leadership in Nuclear Energy (LINE) Commission. Mayor Casper also serves as Vice Chair of the Energy Communities Alliance a national organization of communities with DOE facilities and missions. This allows her to be. a close ally with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in promoting the expansion of nuclear generation as a primary strategy for meeting our nation’s clean energy goals.

“It’s an honor to receive this recognition from UAMPS, particularly given their ongoing support of Idaho Falls’ mission to provide reliable and low-cost electricity to our community,” Casper said. “Idaho Falls’ energy future sits at the forefront of my mind because power plays such a large role in the economic prosperity of our great City.”