Electric

Responsibilities

Martinsville Electric Department was established in 1904 to provide electric service to Martinsville's residents, businesses and industries.

Over a century later, the department is still at work. It purchases wholesale power from American Municipal Power INC to meet the city's peak demand of 42 million watt-hours. The city also generates a portion of the city's peak demand energy at a historic hydroelectric dam on the Smith River.

This clean, reliable source of electric generation meets two percent of Martinsville's power needs and reduces the amount of peak power demand the city must purchase at wholesale. The staff maintains the dam and its surrounding environment, monitors flooding conditions, removes debris from the dam, and keeps state-required records.

The electric department always has at least one on-call crew prepared to respond to any emergencies.

The Substation/Metering Crew maintains commercial and residential metering and responds to customer meter complaints. The meter crew also monitors, controls and repairs substation equipment, as well as scheduling and supervising hydro plant operations. The Substation Crew operates the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisitions System (SCADA) which allows for control and monitoring of voltage level, grid current, number of operations of the circuit breakers and many other features that helps provide reliable electric service.

The Electric Department is an active member of Blue Ridge Power Agency, Municipal Electric Power Association of Virginia and the American Public Power Association. Through these agencies the Electric Department has been actively participating in both Federal and State deregulation efforts.

Miscellaneous Duties

The electric department also:

  • Furnishes and maintains streetlights and dusk-to-dawn lights
  • Maintains and clears trees in the right-away
  • Offers free energy audits for citizens to look at ways to reduce their energy cost

Before You Dig

Before you dig, please call Virginia 811. In Virginia, you may simply dial 811.

Visit Virginia 811's website.

Start a Service

If you are a new City resident and want to sign up for electric service contact the Utility Billing Department at 276-403-5146.