September 01, 2023

WPPI Energy: Mission Focused, Member Driven

Miscellaneous

By Dennis Hicks
MMEA Currents Editor

This article was published in the Sept. 2023 issue of MMEA Currents. The full article can be viewed here.

From the moment the US resolved to adopt Alternating Current over Direct Current as the format for the fledgling power grid, there has been a paradoxical relationship between Public Power and private utility owners. On the one hand, there is a tension between Public Power’s local control and public accountability ethos, and the free-market, for-profit incentive of investor-owned utilities. On the other hand, the two approaches often find themselves on the same side of the fence, working to improve grid reliability, public safety, worker training, and public policy in order to deliver energy to American homes, businesses, and industry. Continue reading.