Municipal Utilities

Your Hometown Electric Utility – Reliable in Any Season

 By the City of Newberry,
Blain Suggs Utility Director

Your hometown utility is prepared to provide reliable electric service in any weather or time of year. One question we sometimes hear is whether a municipal electric utility has the resources to provide
reliable service and timely restoration in the event of a natural disaster. In fact, community-owned utilities have an exceptional track-record of reliable service. Our utility’s service reliability is supported by our local presence
and our statewide alliances with other municipal utilities.

At the City of Newberry Utility Department, we live in this community, and we know the area and its
residents. If you ever have a problem with your service, you can call and talk to someone right here in town. You don’t have to dial a “1-800” number that is answered in some other city and maybe even some other state. When we dispatch our line crews to take care of a problem, they get there quickly because they
live and work here, and they know their town and its electric system. Municipal electric
utilities work together to combine the personal service of a local utility with the resources of a statewide organization. If we are ever hit by a major storm, our utility participates in a mutual aid agreement with other municipal utilities statewide. If we take a hit, they will come help us, and if they’re hit, we can help them. We even have connections with municipal utilities in other states, so we can be sure to have the resources we need, even in a worst-case scenario. This agreement has worked well for a number of years. It is just one of many examples of how municipal utilities work together for the shared benefit of their communities.

We want you to know your hometown utility has the community power and statewide strength to provide reliable service in any season.

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