Carroll Honored With National Achievement Award

COLUMBUS, OH: American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) is pleased to announce that Dave Carroll, CEO of Paducah Power System (PPS) and Chair of the AMP Board of Trustees, was named the 2025 James D. Donovan Individual Achievement Award recipient during the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) National Conference, which took place June 6-11 in New Orleans.

The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the electric utility industry and to public power.

Carroll has served with PPS since 1998 and as CEO since 2021. Previously, he was General Manager for four years and Director of Finance & Administration for almost 20 years. Carroll began his career in the industry in 1991 at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. He has held positions as Controller for Lockheed Martin Energy Systems and Chief Financial Officer of Bechtel Jacobs Company’s Paducah plant site.

“Dave is an outstanding leader for Paducah, AMP and APPA, and he has been a strong advocate for public power regionally and nationally,” said Jolene Thompson, AMP President/CEO. “We extend our congratulations to him on this well-deserved recognition. It serves as a testament to his leadership and commitment to public power.”

Since joining PPS, Carroll has led the charge to invest in updated technology and implement sound financial management and risk management practices. Under his leadership, PPS has achieved a 99.99 percent reliability rate, decreased residential bills by 16 percent since 2013 and has earned the APPA RP3 Diamond designation. His leadership has enhanced the community’s appreciation of the public power business model, instilling confidence in PPS and its ability to provide reliable service and prioritize the community’s best interests. As a result, PPS received the E.F. Scattergood System Achievement Award in 2021.

Carroll oversaw the development of PPS’ first strategic plan in 2018 and has been a speaker on strategic planning at the APPA National Conference. Carroll is active in public power at all levels. He serves on the APPA Board of Directors, representing Region 7.

Carroll is a member of the AMP Board of Trustees, where he serves as Chair of the 22-member Board. In 2021, he was elected to represent Region 7 on the APPA Board of Directors, where he is active on the Finance Committee. He actively participates in a variety of APPA activities, including the Legislative Rally, National Conference, Business and Financial Conference and Joint Action Agency Conference. He is a long-time voting delegate on the L&R Committee. Carroll is a strong advocate for APPA’s RP3 and mutual aid programs, and he also regularly engages with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on advisory matters related to public power. He has testified before the Kentucky General Assembly about the benefits of joint action.

He also serves as general manager of Kentucky Municipal Power Agency (KMPA), a joint action agency formed in 2005 by PPS and the Princeton (Kentucky) Electric Plant Board. Through KMPA, Paducah participates in the Prairie State Energy Campus, a state-of-the-art generating plant in Illinois jointly owned by nine public power agencies. Carroll serves on the Prairie State Generating Company Board of Directors.

Carroll holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky.

APPA is the service organization for the nation’s more than 2,000 community-owned electric utilities that serve more than 49 million Americans.

View the official APPA news release here.