Cowlitz PUD Honored with National Awards for Outstanding Safety Practices

Cowlitz Public Utility District (PUD) has earned two significant safety awards recognizing its commitment to exceptional workplace safety during 2025. The utility received the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Safety Award of Excellence and was also recognized by the Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) for outstanding safe operating practices.

Cowlitz PUD earned first place in its category for utilities reporting 150,001 to 300,000 annual worker-hours of exposure, reflecting one of the strongest safety performances among peer utilities nationwide.

“At Cowlitz PUD, safety comes first,” said Jeremy Beck, Safety Manager. “We operate with a ‘We Above Me’ mindset, where every decision is made with consideration for our coworkers and the community we serve. As a publicly owned utility, we take great pride in putting our people and our public first.”

More than 240 utilities from across the country entered the 2025 APPA Safety Awards program. Utilities were grouped by total number of worker-hours and evaluated based on incident-free records, overall safety programs, and the strength of their safety culture. Rankings were determined using incidence rates calculated in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, which measure the number of reportable work-related injuries or illnesses per total worker-hours during the year.

In addition to the national recognition, Cowlitz PUD was honored by the Northwest Public Power Association on April 16, 2026, during the association’s Engineering & Operations Conference in Portland, Oregon. The NWPPA Safety Awards recognize public power utilities whose 2025 safety performance demonstrated exceptional attention to workplace safety. Awards were based on each utility’s total injury and illness incidence rate.

“Cowlitz PUD is extremely proud of our safety culture,” said retired Cowlitz PUD Engineer and current Board President, Dave Quinn. “These awards reflect the continued dedication of our employees and the collective effort to ensure everyone goes home safely every day. It’s a testament to the accountability and care our team brings to their work.

These recognitions underscore Cowlitz PUD’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable utility serving the community.