Though he retired just over a year ago as High Point deputy city manager, it turns out Randy McCaslin will still play a role making decisions that affect High Point.

McCaslin has been named the chairman of North Carolina ElectriCities Board of Directors. That’s the entity that helps High Point and other cities in the state that provide their own electricity rather than rely on private companies such as Duke Energy.

McCaslin has quite a history of making decisions that are important to High Point. During his time there, in addition to serving as deputy manager, he was the city’s interim manager twice.  He served as Kernersville’s city manager before joining High Point government.

Though McCaslin in his new role will not be a part of High Point government, High Point city leaders are happy about one of their own leading the board where the decisions can have an effect on the city’s power operations.

ElectriCities is a not-for-profit membership organization that operates in North Carolina and other states. The group advocates for public power operations and provides administrative, technical, legal, and legislative support the group’s members.

High Point is unlike most cities in that the power in significant parts of the city is provided by the city. (Some sections of High Point are served by Duke Energy and a small area is served by Energy United.)

The city’s Electric Utilities Department was founded in 1893 – roughly a decade after Edison Illuminating Company built the first power plant in New York City.  A few decades after that, investor-owned utilities began opening shop in North Carolina.

Some other North Carolina cities that provide much or all of their own electricity are Greenville, Statesville, Laurinburg and Fayetteville.

 

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