Amy Zubally: Public Power Week highlights a century of service in Florida

This week is Public Power Week^[1], an annual national celebration that recognizes the role and contributions of public power utilities within their communities. In Florida, 33 public power utilities serve over 4 million residents and businesses across the state. We serve communities small and big – from the City of Wauchula Electric Department to JEA in Jacksonville, one of the nation’s largest public power utilities.

While each Florida public power utility is as distinct as the communities they serve, they all share a strong commitment to providing affordable, clean and reliable power to their customers.

Those are things you should expect from any utility, regardless of the provider. But here’s what sets public power utilities apart.

Being locally owned, locally controlled and locally operated means public power utilities answer directly to their customers in their communities and not stockholders on Wall Street. It also means these utilities can focus on the unique needs and interests of their customers and can nimbly adjust to the desires of the community. It’s power for the people by the people.

As not-for-profit entities, public power utilities aren’t focused on profit margins. As such, the average monthly bills of Florida public power utilities are generally lower than those of other utility providers. The Florida Municipal Electric Association’s^[2] most recent electric bill comparison report showed that the average bills of Florida public power utilities are among the lowest in the state, coming in at an average of $35.49 lower than the average bills of other utilities.

Public power utilities invest millions of dollars annually in improvements and innovations by making continuous investments in the energy grid and electrical systems to enhance reliability. In recent years, following hurricanes and other severe weather events, Florida public power utilities, alongside a mutual aid workforce drawn from the 2,000-strong nationwide public power mutual aid network, have often restored power more quickly than other utility providers.

What drives public power utilities is their connection to their customers and communities, as all of Florida’s public power utilities’ 5,800 employees live and work there as well. They volunteer and contribute to their communities, whether that’s installing new lights on a baseball field, hosting movie nights in the park, or organizing a food drive.

There is more than a century of public power history rooted in Florida, with the establishment of our first public power utility in the City of Starke in 1890. This development was necessitated by the community growth brought on by the nearby railroad, which required the creation of basic infrastructure, including utilities. They continue to provide utility services to their residents today proudly.

Fast forward to Florida public power’s most recent success story, the City of Winter Park, which joined the ranks of public power communities in 2005. In the 20 years since becoming a public power community, Winter Park’s businesses and residents have reaped a total of $135 million in quantifiable financial benefits. Their costs are now lower and their reliability greater, with the current city manager calling the move a “win-win” for the community.

At the heart of public power is service – service to our communities and service to our customers. Our utilities appreciate the opportunity to serve. Public power is a truly American tradition that works well for Florida.

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Amy Zubaly is the executive director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association, which represents 33 public power communities across the state.