American Electric Power directors elected Nicholas Akins to chair the board effective Jan. 1, adding that role to his titles of president and CEO. Akins, 53, succeeded Michael Morris in those roles in 2011. Morris is to step down from his position as non-executive chairman before Jan. 1

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ComEd Touts Smart Grid Jobs

Commonwealth Edison’s smart grid program created about 2,900 full-time equivalent jobs by the end of the third quarter, the utility reported. The total includes more than 900 direct jobs at ComEd and its contractors and an estimated 1,900 indirect positions created.

The grid modernization program started in January 2012 and the company began installing smart meters in September this year, aiming for 60,000 this year and more than 800,000 through 2015.

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Pepco Energy Services Gets Army Contract

Pepco Energy Services won a deal to implement a 23-year energy savings performance contract at the U.S. Army Natick (Mass.) Soldier Systems Center. It will allow the center to exceed the Army’s 30% energy reduction goal by 2015.

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PPL is Magazine’s Utility of Year, Again

Electric Light & Power magazine named PPL Corp. its North American utility of the year, PPL’s second such honor since 2008. It’s “unheard of” for a company to win again in such a short time, Editor in Chief Teresa Hansen said, explaining that after trying harder to find other winners the magazine could not deny the choice. “We quickly realized the winner could be no other utility than PPL this year,” she said. “It was that clear.”

Award criteria included customer satisfaction, financial health and storm preparedness, among other metrics. “After Hurricane Sandy, PPL became the model for how to handle big storms and the people affected,” Hansen said, crediting CEO William H. Spence.

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