Each October, utilities across the country recognize Public Power Week, a nationwide celebration of the unique benefits of community-owned, not-for-profit utilities. OUC is proud to be one of 2,000 public power utilities across the nation.
But what does it mean to be a public power utility and why does it matter for our customers and community?
OUC and other public power utilities — also known as municipal electric utilities — are owned and operated by the communities they serve. Public power utilities differ from investor-owned utilities as we do not generate profits for shareholders. Instead, we reinvest directly into our community.
For over a century, OUC has remain steadfast in providing reliable, affordable and sustainable electric service to the community we proudly call home. Our customers benefit from the following:
Local Control
OUC’s five-member governing board, known as the Commission, is responsible for setting the utility’s rates and operating policies. Our commissioners, who serve without compensation, live right here in our community and are committed to representing the needs of our customers.
Affordability
As a not-for-profit utility, we strive to provide our customers with exceptional value for an essential service like electricity. We support customers through a range of affordability programs and tools like rebates, energy-efficiency programs and flexible payment options.
Reliability
OUC customers experienced the shortest electric service disruptions in comparison to investor-owned utilities based on 2024 data submitted to the Florida Public Service Commission. This was achieved through OUC’s grid hardening and other proactive infrastructure improvement efforts, as well as faster outage restoration times.
Community Focused
Our commitment goes far beyond electricity. OUC actively reinvests in our community through educational programs, local partnerships, charitable giving, hands-on support and a shared dedication to solving the challenges that impact our customers and neighborhoods.
Environmentally Responsible
We are actively working to build a resilient energy future for Central Florida by investing in solutions like solar energy, battery energy storage systems, electrical vehicle charging infrastructure and energy efficiency programs that benefit customers today and for generations to come.
Together with public power utilities nationwide, we’re marking this week as a reminder of why OUC exists: to serve our community with reliability, affordability and care.
