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OP ED
September 28, 2017

Celebrating 130 Years of Public Power and a Look Ahead

Every October, Alameda Municipal Power joins with more than 2,000 other community-owned electric utilities in the U.S. to honor the contributions of public power. 

I am incredibly thankful for AMP’s strong foundations, which date back to 1887. The former leaders of AMP developed a thriving electric utility that is known for its reliability, excellent customer service, ownership of green energy resources, and low rates.

  • AMP’s reliability record is within the top quartile of all electric utilities in the western U.S., which means that Alamedans experience outages less frequently than residents of many other communities.

  • Our customer service ranks among the top electric utilities in California.

  • To meet our customers’ demand for clean energy, AMP began transitioning to greener energy in the 1980s, and the utility will be carbon-free by 2020.

  • In addition, my predecessors at AMP have long been committed to setting electric rates far below those of larger utilities owned by shareholders.

As I plan for AMP’s future, I intend to continue our electric utility’s commitment to reliability, green energy, local decision-making, excellent customer service and lower rates. My aim is to maintain these core values as we seize new opportunities and innovations.

Right now, we’re installing smart meters across the island, which will allow us to develop a modernized electric system that meets 21st demands for real-time data and new energy sources.

AMP is also participating in a citywide effort to update the city’s Local Action Plan for Climate Protection, which provides guidance and goals toward greenhouse-gas reduction strategies in our community. Our electric utility will support the city’s carbon reduction goals by becoming carbon neutral in 2020. In my role as general manager, I will work with the public to adopt new programs and technologies that will help AMP stay vital and provide enhanced service to our customers.

While I will celebrate AMP’s history this October, I will also seek your participation to help prepare for the next 130 years. I encourage you to participate in planning meetings that AMP will hold over the next few months as we develop a new, long-term strategic plan. With the energy industry seemingly changing at the speed of light, AMP will need to be ready to adapt to new ways of providing power to our community. By participating in decision-making at your community-owned utility, you can help AMP pave the way for an exciting future that maintains a strong connection to its history and values.