During Public Power Week, Oct. 7 – 13, Kissimmee Utility Authority will join with public power utilities across the country to celebrate being “Community Powered,” a recently launched national campaign that communicates the value public power utilities offer their customers and communities.
Community-owned, not-for-profit public power utilities power homes and businesses in 2,000 communities across the U.S. – from small towns to large cities. They safely provide reliable, low-cost electricity to more than 49 million Americans, while protecting the environment. These utilities generate or buy electricity from diverse sources. They employ 93,000 people and earn $58 billion in revenue each year. Public power supports local commerce and jobs and invests back into the community.
“The power to shape where and how our electric utility is run is in our community’s hands,” said Jim Welsh, president and general manager at KUA. “In addition to powering the community, we support local jobs and invest its revenues directly back into our local economy.”
Here in Kissimmee, KUA serves 74,000 customers and employs 293 area residents. Since 1901, KUA has made it possible for residents of Kissimmee to own and control its power. KUA is one of 34 public power utilities in Florida, collectively serving more than 1.3 million customers.
Public Power Week is celebrated the first full week of October every year to help customers and stakeholders understand how they can better engage with their community-owned utility and benefit from all its offerings.