The power of local ownership

By Katie Abraham

Many people know the Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) as the company that keeps the lights on and the water flowing. But what you may not know is that the BWL is Michigan’s largest publicly owned electric utility and it belongs to the Greater Lansing community it serves. BWL has always been committed to providing exceptional customer service and being a community partner.

This week is Public Power Week across the State of Michigan – and it’s important to celebrate what makes public power different and why local ownership matters. The BWL has been functioning under the public power model since adding electricity to its services in 1892. 

As a publicly owned utility, BWL is accountable to the people it serves because it’s owned by the City of Lansing. The Lansing region benefits from this local oversight from an unpaid Board of Commissioners made up of people who live in the city and represent the community’s priorities. The board holds regular, open meetings where decisions are made, further supporting transparency to its customers.

Like all of Michigan’s public power utilities, BWL has no shareholders or private interests, and revenue is directly invested back in the community through upgrading infrastructure, strengthening the electric grid, increasing cybersecurity efforts and more. It means dollars stay local to continue delivering safe and reliable utility services. 

By focusing on affordability over profits, public power customers get high-quality service without the high cost. And for residential electric customers in Lansing, that means BWL is nearly 10% cheaper than its closest competitor.  

Being independent and local means publicly owned utilities like BWL are more agile in decision-making and can ensure their decisions reflect the values of their community. BWL employees aren’t just workers – they’re your neighbors. They’re volunteering at your church or coaching your kid’s baseball team. And as your neighbors, they’re ready to respond quickly and efficiently to get your power back on when disaster strikes. 

Public power’s dedication to the community goes beyond delivering utilities; it means giving back. For BWL, this means living their tagline “Hometown People, Hometown Power” through employee volunteerism, community sponsorships, local events and more. Whether it’s an annual river clean-up or hosting regular community resource fairs to connect customers who are struggling with resources and financial help, BWL continues to find meaningful ways to support their customers. This is perhaps the greatest value a public power utility provides to its community – building relationships with its customers and the shared interest in keeping the community a great place to live, work and raise a family. 

BWL’s mission is to “provide a safe, reliable and affordable utility experience through public ownership, climate consciousness and innovative strategies.” The BWL has always been a leader in Michigan with cleaner energy sources; today, it is generating power from solar and wind energy in addition to traditional methods. But it’s about doing more than just keeping the lights on – it’s about a utility that’s been deeply rooted in supporting its customers and community for over 140 years. It’s an institution that’s been built alongside the Lansing region for decades and will continue to stand with the community well into the future. 

Public power isn’t just about delivering electricity. It’s about having a utility that’s locally owned and accountable to and invested in their community. That’s what BWL has been for the Lansing region, and that’s what it means to be public power.

Katie Abraham is the Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal Electric Association (MMEA), representing all publicly owned utilities in Michigan.