In response to a recent guest column published in Florida’s Tampa Bay Times, Scott Corwin, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association, said in a Letter to the Editor that APPA strongly disagrees with the claim that “the private sector does better than the public sector” when it comes to providing electric power.
“Across the U.S., approximately 2,000 public power utilities demonstrate every day that community-owned electricity is a proven, high-performing model that prioritizes reliability, affordability and local accountability,” Corwin notes.
Public power utilities “consistently outperform other utility types in reliability. In 2023, customers served by public power experienced half the outage time under normal conditions and 60% less during major events compared to customers of other utilities. These results reflect quick local decision-making, a strong mutual-aid network, and sustained investments in resilience and system hardening,” Corwin wrote in the Letter to the Editor.
Affordability is another hallmark of public power, the President and CEO of APPA noted.
Nationwide in 2023, when examining simulated monthly electricity bills, public power customers paid 13% less on average than customers of other utility types, resulting in meaningful savings for households and businesses alike. “In Florida, public power rates for 1,000 kWh residential customers are $35 less per month than those of investor-owned utilities. These lower costs stem from not-for-profit governance, local oversight and a mission focused on service,” Corwin wrote.
Public power utilities "also invest millions of dollars annually in infrastructure upgrades, storm hardening, cybersecurity and workforce development, ensuring safe, reliable service now and in the future. Public power works — for communities across the nation and for the more than four million Floridians served by public power."
