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Public Power Scholarship Available
Posted: Monday, May 22, 2017
As your locally owned, not-for-profit utility, Stoughton Utilities works to not only provide reliable, cost-effective utility services, but to also support and enrich the community. One way we do so is to offer an annual scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to a student graduating from Stoughton High School.

Graduation capScholarship recipients are chosen based on a combination of academic achievement, financial need, educational goals, community service activities, and application responses. To be eligible, the student's parents or legal guardians must be a customer of Stoughton Utilities.

Scholarship Guidelines:
  1. Students have the option of writing an essay or completing an energy audit of their home.
  2. Your essay must be 500-1000 words and should address one or more of the following questions:
    • What are the advantages of public power?
    • Why is energy efficiency important?
    • What could Stoughton High School do to reduce its energy use?
    • Why should we as a nation invest in renewable energy?
    • What is the most important issue facing municipal electric utilities in America?
  3. Home Energy Audit- Student must perform three of the following audit exercises in addition to the summary of findings. Student must check out a watt meter from the Stoughton Public Library to perform the energy audit.
    • Using a watt meter, identify the ten largest uses of electrical energy in your home. Calculate the return on investment for the purchase of more efficient models of the top three energy loads in the home.
    • Analyze prior electricity use and determine average kWh usage per day for the past 12 months. Utilize your parent's billing statements or My Account online for usage information for your home, or contact Stoughton Utilities customer service for details.
    • Develop a list of five low or no cost energy saving measures in the home.
    • Measure your own energy use for one week, including all appliances you use at home.
    • Summary of findings (1-2 Paragraphs): This is a required exercise for the audit and should include any recommendations on how to reduce energy use and a summary of how energy is being used in the home.

Eligibility guidelines
  1. High school seniors may submit essays to be considered for a $1,000.00 scholarship. One scholarship is awarded per calendar year. To be eligible, the student, their parents, or their legal guardian must be a customer of Stoughton Utilities at the time the essay or home energy audit is submitted for consideration.
  2. Essays should be 500 – 1,000 words, typed, double-spaced, following standard scholastic formatting guidelines. Audits must include a summary of findings and three of the audit exercises.
  3. For both the essay or audit, include the following information on a cover page:
    • Student’s first and last name, home address, and phone number,
    • Name of parent(s) or legal guardian,
    • Stoughton Utilities account information, including the name on the account, the billing address, and the customer account number.
  4. Deadline for submitting essays is April 15th. Please submit your essay or home energy audit to Stoughton Utilities, either in-person at our office, in the curbside drop box, or by mail to:
    Stoughton Utilities
    attn: Scholarship Application
    P.O. Box 383
    Stoughton, WI 53589
  5. Scholarship winners will be selected by an Energy Service Representative employed by Stoughton Utilities' power supplier, WPPI Energy. Winners will be notified by mail and announced on Senior Awards Night.

Resource Materials
Stoughton Utilities is a good source of information through interviews with their employees and our website. More information about Public Power is also available at libraries or on the internet, including WPPI Energy and American Public Power Association.

The Stoughton Public Library has watt meters available to check out for the energy audit. If one is not available, please contact Stoughton Utilities.

Scholarship Payment
Scholarships are awarded to essay contest winners who plan on attending a post-secondary educational institution. The scholarship will be paid to the winner when a copy of a fee statement or other proof of enrollment is submitted to Stoughton Utilities. Bring or mail proof to our office, along with the address for the check to be mailed

Proof of enrollment must be submitted no later than November 30th of the year in which the scholarship is awarded.