The Benefits of Public Power
Being part of an IMPA member community means you can count on affordable, reliable power for many years to come.
IMPA is governed by its members, who purchase their power requirements from IMPA and deliver that power to the residents and companies in their service territories. Altogether, IMPA members deliver electric service to over 350,000 individuals throughout Indiana and Ohio.
Why public power?
Public power utilities are not-for-profit entities operated by local governments to supply communities with low-cost, reliable, and environmentally responsible power.
Nationwide, there are over 2,000 public power utilities, serving 49 million people in 49 states and five US territories. One out of every seven people in the US is served by a public power utility, so there’s public power near YOU.
Benefits of public power
Public power is cost-effective, but that’s not the only advantage. From community investment to lower environmental impact, public power benefits our members in many ways.
Like public schools and libraries, public power utilities are owned by the community and run as a division of local government. Governed by a local city council or an elected or appointed board, community citizens have a direct voice in utility decisions, including the rates it charges and its sources of electricity.
Across the country, municipal electric utilities continue to lead the way in providing customers with low-cost energy. Public power’s historically lower rates are the result of the low-cost structure central to its business model, supported by its not-for-profit status, access to tax-exempt financing, higher credit ratings, and its ability to contract for low-cost power supplies.
In 2021, public power customers of Indiana and Ohio typically saved an average of more than 40% when compared to other types of utilities*. Public power has both the lowest average bill and the lowest average rate in Indiana*.
*2023 Public Power Statistical Report by the American Public Power Association
Public power utilities are embedded into the fabric of their communities and support a range of community programs including charitable, educational, and beautification programs. These utilities are operated by family members, friends, and neighbors within the community, giving employees a unique sense of pride and responsibility to utility customers. Public power employs 96,000 people across the United States in hometown jobs.
Public power utilities are actively responsive to customers’ needs and concerns because their primary goal is to provide efficient, reliable service to the customers in their communities. Public power utilities focus on overall system reliability, quick restoration of power after an outage, and making excellent customer service a priority.
In 2021, public power customers experienced half the average outage time as customers of other utilities*.
*2023 Public Power Statistical Report by the American Public Power Association
Public power utilities utilize diverse generation sources when providing power to their customers, including natural gas, coal, and nuclear, as well as renewable energy sources such as solar, water, and wind.
With nearly 80% of capacity in the last stages of development being solar and wind generating sources*, public power utilities recognize the importance of environmental stewardship and continue to invest in sustainable power sources.
*2023 Public Power Statistical Report by the American Public Power Association
Public Power week
Keeping the lights on takes a team of professionals, from linemen to power plant operators and everything in between.
Utilities across the U.S. celebrate Public Power Week the first full week of October every year to recognize and celebrate the benefits of public power – low-cost power, reliable electricity, and hometown service.