From the past to the present, the American Public Power Association has existed to support and advance the operation of community-owned electric utilities. Here’s what leaders at long-time members say they value about having a national association for public power.
 | “The network that APPA provides has given us resources to address many common issues that municipally owned utilities share, such as the challenges of broadband implementation, the strategies around supply chain disruptions, and tax-exempt financing for prepays and capital work. This final example is key to how municipals can provide energy at the lowest cost.” |
Alonzo Weaver, Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Division, Tennessee |
| “Being able to collectively engage is important. We've had opportunities for learning from various municipals around the country through APPA. Sometimes we're able to share examples of things that we're working on that are relevant to other utilities. And that's amazing, because that means the impact of our work can go beyond Burlington, and vice versa.” |  |
| Darren Springer, General Manager, Burlington Electric, Vermont |
 | “Our world right now is as crazy as it's ever been, with the ever-changing administrations and us trying to keep up with all the changes that are going on every single minute of every single day, it's too much for us to do at our individual utility levels… The training that's provided is great and the constant information given to us that we need to run our organization through the newsletters, the magazine, and [the community groups now on APPA Engage] have helped me understand some of the things that have been going on. You get hooked up with consultants, others in the utility business that you have a common goal and a common thread with that you can really just talk about the issues of the day. Without the association, you don't make those connections, you don't meet those people.” |
Neal Suess, President and CEO, Loup Power District, Nebraska |
| “We value the services that we get from our associations — the camaraderie, the programs, the training. We’ve been a longtime APPA member here at Paris, Tennessee. It’s a privilege to be a part of APPA and to watch what they do. I’ve been to the Legislative Rally for about the last 10 years... I very much enjoy getting to be a voice for public power and thankful that APPA has folks in Washington operating at that level, paying attention to all the things that matter in the public power world and helping to protect the public power model.” |  |
| Terry Wimberley, President and CEO, Paris Board of Public Utilities, Tennessee |
 | “The American Public Power Association is where we can find strength in numbers, where we're all suffering from the same things, from the largest to the smallest public power [utility]. If we stick together, we can get more accomplished.” |
David Hanson, Senior Assistant General Manager of Power System, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, California |
