Mayors Proclaim Pride in Public Power
Two DEMEC member community mayors were featured in the May/June issue of Public Power Magazine to tell us how their communities are enriched by having a not-for-profit community-owned electric utility.
Mayor Ken Branner, Middletown, Delaware
“The Town of Middletown benefits from both the value of public power as well as the power of joint action as a member of the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation. By keeping decision-making local, we were able to make the most economical decisions and bring savings to our community by aggregating our power needs with other community-owned electric utilities in the state. We can quickly respond to the needs of our customers and bring in new businesses to further economic development through a streamlined permitting process and infrastructure that’s ready for growth. Over the past decade, our electric load has increased 1,600% due to the addition of businesses like Amazon. Seeing such growth is a true testament to the value of being a hometown public power utility.”
Mayor David Genshaw, Seaford, Delaware
“The value of public power to the Seaford community is tremendous; it allows us to be more responsive much faster and more flexible with economic development projects, which gives us an advantage. We employ local utility professionals whose customers are their neighbors, and they strive every day to provide exemplary service. Public power helps make us “The perfect place to start!”