Public Power
Locally-owned public power utilities first appeared more than 100 years ago when communities created electric utilities to provide light and power to their citizens. Throughout the end of the 1800s and the first decades of the 1900s, the number of utilities grew rapidly. And while many utilities were sold to larger interests during the 20th century, thousands of communities (like ours) chose to preserve this valuable asset and the local control it provides.
Today, more than 2,000 communities across the country enjoy the advantages of public power.
The Difference
Other utility companies are sometimes called public because they provide electric services to everyone, but that doesn’t make them true public power utilities. Public power means homes and businesses run on electricity provided by a nonprofit, locally-owned utility. That means the community has more control, so all the benefits produced by public power, including affordable energy costs, better service, and a focus on local goals, stay in the community.
Public power utilities are nonprofit, and they’re local. And that makes all the difference.
Joint Action Through WPPI Energy
Nearly 3 decades ago, 23 municipalities established WPPI Energy as the state’s 1st municipal electric company. Today, WPPI Energy helps 51 member utilities create and deliver affordable power to more than 195,000 homes and businesses in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan.
By pooling together resources, local public power utilities (like ours) gain the economies of scale needed to be efficient in today’s marketplace. Together, we purchase low-cost electricity for our communities and take advantage of the latest technologies to better serve customer needs. This collaborative approach results in substantial savings for our community. WPPI Energy also provides industry leadership and business-related services that allow us to concentrate on operating efficiently and providing high-quality electric service to our customers.
With public power, the good we do stays right here in River Falls. Because we are here for you.