There’s a lot of electricity in the air this week in the City of High Point’s Electric Utilities Department, which now has a brand new director.
Tyler Berrier, who’s been working for the city for about eight years, has accepted the position as the department’s head and plans to begin his new role immediately.
High Point is unlike most cities in that the power in in significant parts of the city is provided by the city. Some parts 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 – just 11 years after Edison Illuminating Company built the first power plant in New York City – and more than three decades before the arrival of investor-owned utilities in North Carolina.
The High Point electrical system has roughly 700 miles of circuits and 13 substations that serve nearly 40,000 customers.
The main goal of the department is to provide the city’s homes and businesses with power that’s both reliable and affordable.
The department is completely funded through sales of electric power to residents. No tax revenues are used to support the department.
As director, Berrier will oversee electricity lines, substations and street and outdoor lighting.
The Electric Operations Department has 65 full-time employees and a $134 million operating budget.
Berrier has been with the City of High Point since 2014 and he has served as a civil engineer, public services manager and – most recently – as the assistant director of electric utilities.
Before taking a job with High Point, he worked with the North Carolina Department of Transportation in various roles from 2005 to 2014.
Berrier has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is a licensed professional engineer.
