The American Public Power Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. We represent public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the more than 49 million people that public power utilities serve, and the 96,000 people they employ. We advocate and advise on electricity policy, technology, trends, training, and operations.
Our Vision
To shape the future of public power to drive a new era of community-owned electric service.
Our Purpose
To partner with members to promote public power, helping community-owned utilities deliver superior services through joint advocacy, education, and collaboration.
What We Do
Since 1940, APPA has stood up for the rights of the people to choose not-for-profit public power in their communities. It has supported hundreds of communities in preserving local, public ownership of their electric utilities. APPA’s tagline, “Powering Strong Communities,” speaks to what public power utilities do, but it also speaks to what APPA does.
APPA:
- Connects the industry. We foster networking and collaboration among utility staff, policymakers, and supporters nationwide and empower members to work together on common issues and challenges.
- Advocates for public power. We represent public power’s interests before Congress, the White House, administrative agencies and regulatory bodies, and courts. Our policy priorities and positions are determined by the membership.
- Educates public power professionals. We help electric industry employees keep up with rapidly evolving technologies, regulations, and customer needs by hosting conferences, webinars, special events, and custom trainings.
- Supports operational excellence. We provide programs and resources to help utilities adopt new technologies and improve customer service, reliability, safety, physical and cybersecurity, and disaster preparation efforts.
- Advances research and development. Our Demonstration of Energy and Efficiency Developments (DEED) research and development program offers scholarships and project grants to help members innovate and develop a robust future workforce.
- Coordinates disaster recovery. We manage a mutual aid program to facilitate restoration work among public power utilities following storms and other disasters.
- Keeps the industry informed. We provide news and analysis of the latest trends, best practices, and technologies as well as member accomplishments with a range of digital content.
- Promotes public power. We offer tools and resources to help members talk about public power with their customers and disseminate information about public power utilities to the general public.
Read more about our latest contributions in our Year in Review.
Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
APPA is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, equity and inclusion. This commitment pertains to our internal policies and staff expectations, but also extends out to the wider public power community. As part of our strategic plan, we aim to assist members in meeting workforce challenges—including attracting and retaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture—through offering educational programs, developing resources, and serving as a platform for the public power community to exchange ideas and best practices.