After 28 years in the business, Kevin Frizzell was appointed to the position of OMU’s general manager. After serving as the interim general manager since Feb. 2018, the Owensboro Utility Commission voted to drop the “interim” from Frizzell’s title, and honor him as the existing general manager.
Frizzell said he was happy with the commission’s decision to regard him as general manager. However, Frizzell doesn’t expect the change in title to make a huge difference in his daily work life.
“I just appreciate them taking the interim off the title,” Frizzell said.
After stepping in as interim general manager in February, Frizzell was faced with several obstacles that required him to make tough decisions in his new position. Frizzell was commended by city commissioners for his handling of the water main break in July, including his decision to build onto the Cavin Water Treatment Plant to ensure Owensboro residents would have clean water.
In an attempt to lower rates and look at the bigger picture, Frizzell also made plans to shut down the existing Elmer Smith Power Plant in exchange for a partnership with Big Rivers Electric. Frizzell was integral in the decision to incorporate solar energy as a way of lowering electric rates for local OMU customers.
While the job hasn’t always been easy, Frizzell is regarded by his co-workers and colleagues as the right person for the job. From Frizzell’s perspective, he’s happy with where his career has taken him, but he isn’t planning to stay in the position for too long.
“Where I’m at in my career, it’d be a couple years until I’d retire. I thought it’d be best to get someone who wants to put another 10 to 15 years into it, and that’s not me,” Frizzell said.
With the remaining years Frizzell has at OMU, he would like to see things through before he retires — especially in regard to the closing of the Elmer Smith Station and the switch to Big Rivers Electric.
“The next big challenge is implementing those changes,” Frizzell said. “2018 has been a year of change for OMU — stopping coal energy that’s been around since 1900. I’ll continue to do the best I can do.”
