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Meet Minnesota's municipal electric and natural gas utilities
<br /> • ;a 'Public power' '
<br /> , , How much do you know °h
<br /> �1 about Minnesota's
<br /> °o a,.
<br /> I 1::. = = municipal utilities? ��►.'. (aid"'p Here are some facts you , 'o
<br /> 1.: ' might find interesting. �' �, o�
<br /> �' �� ��4 ,�i is p , .
<br /> • There are 125 mu- ^���,,
<br /> 0
<br /> 1 k. ® s ` 4 nicipal electric and 32 «' ��
<br /> ,tir
<br /> municipal natural gas '"� N, ;;`�
<br /> ti'._, ...=k�„ . _, _ ., - . -:--... utilities in the state, i
<br /> and they serve approxi- I I `$, 'a� ..,,,,,..c.:,�
<br /> Big and small(but mostly small) matel 365,300 electric °~ -, . ' �' \1
<br /> By far the largest municipal y � . " '� t
<br /> and 81,700 natural gas ,4 i ',44111 ,electric utility is Rochester,which customers.
<br /> serves 49,769 customers.Moor- • Open, accessible, gov- • Most return some
<br /> head,Austin,Anoka,Owatonna • Municipal utilities ernance is one reason funds to the city gener-
<br /> and Shakopee are the only other are created through a municipals are also al fund, usually in the
<br /> municipal electric utilities with majority vote in a local known as'public power' form of in-lieu-of-tax
<br /> more than 10,000 customers, referendum. utilities. payments.Municipal
<br /> utilities often help with
<br /> Most municipal electric utilities • Regulation is largely • Municipals are non- 'in-kind'services, and
<br /> serve smaller cities in Greater through the city council profit. Rates are cost- may also make addi-
<br /> Minnesota: or local utilities corn- based. tional contributions.
<br /> • 95 percent have fewer than mission.
<br /> 10,000 customers;
<br /> Our business philosophy
<br /> • 80 percent have fewer than The trend in the electric -;
<br /> 5,000 customers; utility industry these days is "1 , #1
<br /> consolidation. Utility merg- '. , ,-,
<br /> • 74 percent have fewer than ers are widespread.As these d s1 r '. '
<br /> 2,500 customers; companies get bigger, they j ��s ,
<br /> tend to get farther and far- &, �,C ', ,
<br /> •36 percent have fewer than ther away from their custom- , , r, ''1
<br /> 1,000 customers; ers. a o e
<br /> •17 percent have fewer than 500 Being locally-owned and operated organizations, municipal utility poli-
<br /> customers. cymakers and staff not only have a career interest in their community's
<br /> success, they have a personal stake in the city in which they have chosen
<br /> •The average municipal electric to raise their families and build life-long relationships.Because of this, the
<br /> utility has 2,922 customers.The utility's interest in the well-being of its community and devotion toward
<br /> median has 1,200 customers. maintaining a high quality of life is more than corporate slogan—it's the
<br /> foundation of our business philosophy.
<br /> •The smallest municipal electric
<br /> is tiny Whalan,population 63. �,de�tUrYi"9fse�c '�s �
<br /> Offer half of 1 �r o
<br /> The largest Minnesota munici- utilities have successA� x v
<br /> pal gas system is Duluth,with ` operated for 100 e rs of o e
<br /> 28,861 customers. New Ulm, and
<br /> it c ,,� ' z a ua ' z 'a vi,.e s+� ?' ,Hutchinson :''• , Y. � 3 r , <,` ` e ,,
<br /> ,
<br /> also have more F - - i ' E ithan 5,000 gas „� i I"' $ t �u'l 4 :' �rar±R T ' t
<br /> 4 ,
<br /> customers. i E'- ' ELECTRIC I11
<br /> Seventy-two ;- ry� n r N
<br /> percent have fewer than 1,000 ,� `k WORKS
<br /> customers. One third have fewer i v "' `,, r '' 4 R. ',
<br /> than 500 customers. r, % -`'
<br /> 110
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