Public Power is Good for Consumers, Business, Our Community and the Nation

By Valerie O. Fong, General Manager

ALAMEDA, Calif., October 1, 2005 — Over the past century, electricity has evolved from a luxury to a day-to-day necessity. How could any of us get through our normal day without the constant use of electricity? It keeps us safe, healthy, comfortable, and prosperous. It also helps us connect with our friends and family, our community, and the world at large.

Electricity is so ever present in this country, and its supply is so reliable, that we take it for granted. It's easy to forget the role that electricity plays in our daily lives. Each October, we have an opportunity to reflect on the importance of electricity, as well as the central role our electric utility has in helping our community and the contributions it makes to the nation.

This month, we join in the national celebration of Public Power, in recognition of our nation's more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities, like Alameda Power & Telecom. Our utility is a community enterprise that was founded in 1887 to help make our lives powerful by providing a critical infrastructure service.

Alameda Power & Telecom serves the interests of the community. Our not-for-profit rates hold down your household and business costs and are some 10% lower than those of the surrounding area. Lower electricity rates help attract and keep businesses that provide jobs for our citizens. They are also good for our household budgets.

Alameda Power & Telecom also contributes directly to our economy. Last year alone, we paid over $3.6 million in transfers to the City's General Fund, payments in lieu of taxes, etc, to help fund City-provided services, such as police, firefighters, and our libraries and parks.

When it comes to service, you know we're just down on Grand Street if you have problems. And you know our excellent track record of keeping the power on and restoring it quickly when outages strike.

Alameda Power & Telecom is also known for our commitments to our commu-nity and to our environment. With a power supply portfolio that is over 80% renewable, we're one of the cleanest utilities in the world.

If you'd like to see how utility decisions are made, please consider attending our Public Utilities Board meetings, held regularly every third Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers. You can also tune in on Alameda Power & Telecom cable television Channel 15.

Our cable television and Internet system also are a part of our commitment to low-cost, accessible systems that serve to support community and economic development.

Being a Public Power electric utility also gives us a role to play in our state's and our nation's energy future. With other public power systems across the country, we provide a "yardstick" for rates and service against which profit-making electric utilities can be evaluated. That helps to hold down costs in all localities.

Through joint action agencies, we also work toward state and national public policies that will help increase energy independence and security, protect the environment, and find long-term solutions to make energy more efficient.

We're proud to serve you and will continue to do so in the true spirit of Public Power!