WAVERLY - The public's highest priority in terms of utilities - and Waverly Light and Power's No. 1 responsibility - is dependability, General Manager Diane Johnson said Thursday.

Johnson took the helm of Waverly Light and Power in December.

"I think the foundation we hold on to is a commitment to providing reliable electricity to our customers and to our community," Johnson told about a dozen people at Waverly Golf and Country Club.

The gathering was designed for community members to meet Johnson and to ask her questions about the municipal utility's future, said Sheila Boeckman, manager of business operations and development for Waverly Light and Power.

Prior to being recruited for the position in Waverly, Johnson served as general manager of human resources for Colorado Springs Utilities. Johnson worked in various capacities at the four-service utility, learning the ins and outs of electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater. Johnson has worked in the utility industry for about 12 years.

"She comes to us with a vast utility background," Boeckman said.

Thursday, Johnson offered her vision for Waverly Light and Power, talked about global warming and national energy trends, and reviewed traditional and alternative power sources.

The ongoing challenge in the power industry, Johnson said, will be to balance cost and reliability.

As America's energy needs grow and costs rise, the country will rely on a variety of power sources to keep up, she said. The nation has and will continue to explore and fine tune new and cleaner energy sources, she added, but saving energy is the most immediate answer to the country's power needs.

For years, Waverly Light and Power has been on the forefront of progressive steps in energy, but Johnson predicts the rest of the nation isn't far from taking similar steps she imagines will involve federal mandates.

Waverly Light and Power will likely have to pursue advanced technology and be more aggressive in its renewable energy efforts - which stand to get more complex and costly - to keep participation incentives appealing.

Johnson applauded the groundwork laid by Glenn Cannon, who retired as general manager recently, and the utility's history of high ideals.

"You set goals that are dramatic and you reach for those, and frankly, that's how you get there," she said.

Johnson has a husband, Alan, and a 9-year-old daughter, Hayley. She is a native of Colorado Springs.

Contact Karen Heinselman at (319) 291-1581 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.