Why Public Power is Good for Business — and Good for Communities

Public Power is Good for Business

AMP spent the last year hard at work on our 2025 communications campaign, “Public Power is Good for Business”. In addition to sharing energy information, we’re also proud to highlight a few of the ways our Members deliver lasting value to their local businesses and communities each day.

The stories from this campaign serve as a reminder of all that we are thankful for with public power. Public power utilities mean more than reliable electricity — they represent local control, accountability, and a commitment to serving our communities first.

One striking example is a testimonial from an official with Caesars Entertainment, a business with a global footprint, who had this to say about their experience with public power in Danville: “The experience that we had here was beyond any compliment that I could give them,” said Greg Combs, Vice President of Design and Construction for Ceasars Entertainment on the experience the company had with Danville Utilities before, during and after the construction of the Caesars Virginia casino and resort in Danville. “It doesn’t always work that way. Here, they were very, very engaged with us, and that’s important.”

The Public Power Advantage for Local Economies

Public power is reliable, affordable and locally controlled. That’s why switching to a public power energy supplier can make such great business sense—from family-owned shops all the way up to global operations.

With public power utilities, more decisions happen close to home with transparency and a focus on what matters to the community and to the businesses looking to set up shop there. The public power business model allows municipal electric utilities to reinvest in their communities, work to keep rates affordable, and ensure that providing safe, reliable electricity remains a top priority.

When businesses look for the right place to grow, they often focus on factors like workforce, infrastructure, and cost of living. However, the equally critical cost and reliability of energy are easily overlooked.

Spotlighting Success Stories

Through the stories that AMP’s team produced and promoted for our “Public Power is Good for Business” campaign over the past year we spotlighted the benefits of public power from the perspective of those running the companies that rely on public power utilities.

Across AMP’s footprint, businesses have touted the benefits of operating a business in a public power community. They shared the importance of personal service and how critical reliable electricity is to their operations. In addition to the example above from Caesars Entertainment in Danville, many more similar stories surfaced in the campaign:

• Hamilton: When 80 Acres Farms — a vertical, indoor farming company that uses the latest technology to grow a supply of fresh, healthy produce — was looking for a new headquarters, it was drawn to the City of Hamilton. “Vertical farms depend on a consistent supply of electricity. Even a brief outage can result in a major disruption to our crops,” said Jed Portman, Senior Manager of Public Affairs for 80 Acres Farms. “We haven’t experienced much in the way of disruptions at all. But, of course, we realize that’s more than good luck. That’s the result of good practices on Hamilton’s side and the good work that Hamilton’s doing to make sure that businesses like ours can operate with predictability and consistency.”
• Bryan: The Spangler Candy Company, founded in 1906, is a small confectionary company known all over the world for its numerous candy brands, such as the Dum-Dum lollipops. When Spangler was expanding its operations in 2023 to add on a 20-acre production facility for its newly acquired brand, Bit-O-Honey, it knew it could rely on Bryan Municipal Utilities to support its expanded electric demand. “Derek (Schultz, Bryan Municipal Utilities Director of Utilities) and the team are great to work with,” said Bill Martin, Spangler Candy Company President. “They’re reasonable. They don’t want to impact our business, and they want to help us succeed. And I don’t think you get that from a really big utility. I think at a really big utility, you don’t even know who those people are. So it’s a great relationship we have, and it is an important relationship when you have a food factory because a lot of the things that aren’t seen — like air conditioning, water, power, those kind of things — have just as much impact on how you make candy as all the things that you can see.”
• Versailles: Midmark, a global manufacturer of equipment for medical, dental and veterinary spaces, views its partnership with the Village of Versailles as critical to the company’s success and growth. “In 2021, we added over 114,000 square feet of manufacturing space and a new Technology and Experience Center here in Versailles. That doesn’t happen unless we are planful and thoughtful with the Village of Versailles and Village of Versailles Utilities,” said Rob Sackett, Chief Operations Officer for Midmark. “I have manufactured around the world — in the United States, Mexico, China, India — multitudes of places. What we do here [the partnership between the company and utility] is exceptional, and I would say it rivals relationships that I have had anywhere in the best places to work around the world.”
• Coldwater: Sekisui Voltek, a leading manufacturer of foam roll goods, has operated in Coldwater since the 1970s and chose to consolidate its operations there in 2020, citing the city’s centralized Midwest location, proximity to major automotive manufacturers and the availability of land for expansion. In 2022, Voltek announced the construction of its second plant in Coldwater, a $39 million investment known as the Endeavor Project. Voltek officials said the decision to expand in Coldwater was made easier because of its strong partnership with the Coldwater Board of Public Utilities. “It’s really been a big benefit to have public power behind us. I know I can pick up the phone and call the utility director and call many different employees,” said Jeff Budd, Chief Financial Officer for Voltek. “Having that personal connection, that’s the benefit of public power.”
• Montpelier: Moore Industries, a small family-owned company that manufactures custom-injection molds for the automotive industry, has depended on the support and customer service of the Montpelier Municipal Utilities as the company has grown since 1999 to employ 85 people. When the company was in the midst of an 18,000-square-foot expansion project in 2022, it ran into difficulties with an existing transformer. They reached out to the village for help in resolving the issue. “We increased the size of the conductor,” said Jason Rockey, Montpelier Village Manager. “We also increased the size of the transformer to not only provide power for the expansion, but also for potential needs down the road.”

All of these stories illustrate a simple truth: Public power utilities are more than energy providers — they are partners in the community and deliver value to businesses.

Public Energy: Giving Power Back to the Public.

Ready to bring your power back home? Explore AMP’s campaign to learn more about how public power utilities can benefit your local community.