Public power is a collection of more than 2,000 community-owned electric utilities, serving over 43 million people or about 14 percent of the nation's electricity consumers. Public power utilities are operated by local governments to provide communities with reliable, responsive, not-for-profit electric service. Public power utilities are directly accountable to the people they serve through local elected or appointed officials.

Some of the nation's largest cities - Los Angeles, San Antonio, Seattle and Orlando - operate publicly owned electric utilities, but many public power communities are small with their utilities serving 3,000 or fewer customers.

Public power is an American tradition that works. The first municipal utility was established in 1882, and more than 350 public power utilities have celebrated their centennials.