The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced a new specialty plate to honor the state’s utility employees. Wisconsin’s utility workers are among the essential employees making sure people all across the state have the power they need at home, work and school. The Keeping the Lights On specialty plate is now available for a one-time fee of $15, and can be displayed on most cars, trucks, and campers.
“Keeping the lights on is always a top priority, and this specialty plate shows our appreciation and recognizes the people who deliver reliable electricity to homes, farms and businesses all across Wisconsin, including the dedicated employees right here at Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative," said Steve Stroshane, general manager, Polk-Burnett.
Linda McAley of Clark Electric Cooperative was the driving force behind the year-long effort to create the specialty plate. McAley recently retired from her position as the co-op’s director of administrative services after 45 years and took on this project, leading a group to raise the design fee of $15,500, gather more than the 500 required signatures, and follow through until approval from the DMV. The group launched the effort in January and the DMV announced the availability of the plate on December 7.
“Ensuring electric cooperative members have access to safe, reliable, affordable energy is a monumental task that is only possible because of the hard work of all co-op employees – from lineworkers to suppliers, from meter technicians to IT, from warehouse clerks and office staff, to the board of directors,” said McAley. “I can’t wait to see these plates out on the road, and I would like to thank everyone who was supportive of the effort.”
The specialty plate is intended only for honor and in recognition, so there is no annual fee.
The one-time issuance fee of $15 covers production of the plate. Personalized specialty plates are also available for an additional $15 per year.
To order your Keeping the Lights On specialty plate, go to: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/vehicles/title-plates/utl.aspx