5.3. ERMUSR 03-14-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~A~~,.~~ ~iiriv~~ Position Statement Minnesota Municipa/ Uti/ities Association Why Public Power? One hundred twenty-six Minnesota cities benefit from having a locally owned and locally operated municipal electric utility. Thirty-one cities have a municipal natural gas system. Fifty of our eighty-seven county seats are served by a municipal electric or gas system. A not-for-profit municipal electric or gas utility is a tremendous asset in these uncertain times. Here are some of the reasons why: • We have great service. We're part of the community and our policy makers, managers and workers are part of the community. Our crews are always on hand in the event of emergency. You don't need to call an 800 number to talk to us. • We're locally regulated. Members of the community who live in the community set rates and service practices. If you have a problem, you know who to talk to. • We're owned by our customers. There is no tension between the interests of customers and the interests of stockholders. Our focus is Main Street, not Wall Street. We work for you. • We're not in it for the money. Municipal utilities are not-for-profit and operated in the public interest. Our goal is long-term community benefit, not short-term gain. We work hard to save you money. • We're the yardstick for the industry. For generations, public power systems have set standards for rates and service that other utilities have had to meet. • We'll be there. Many of Minnesota's municipal electric utilities have served their communities for more than a hundred years. In an era when new competitors come and go faster that we can learn their names, you can count on us. We will be there when you need us. • We're Public Power. We're here for you! Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association February 2006