Could you imagine going an entire day without the use of electricity? Have you ever tried it? In the span of about 100 years we have seen electricity evolve from a big city luxury to a nationwide necessity. It keeps us safe and comfortable, and it connects us to our friends and family.
    We take electricity for granted in Nebraska and the entire United States for that matter. The folks who can remember what it was like before their family had electricity are becoming fewer every year. It is easy to forget how dependent we have become on electricity in our everyday lives. We flip the switch and automatically expect our homes and offices to be filled with light.
    It doesn’t hurt to be reminded occasionally about the importance of electricity, as well as the contributions it makes to our towns, our state and the nation.
    We encourage our readers to take part in celebrating Public Power Month.
    Public Power Month honors the nation’s more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities, like those that serve your homes, ranches and businesses.  
    Public power serves the interests of the community. The not-for-profit rates hold down household and business costs, and Nebraska has some of the lowest electric rates in the country. Lower electricity rates attract and keep businesses that provide jobs for our citizens. They are also good for our household budgets.
    When it comes to service, you know your electric provider is just down the street or a phone call away if you have problems. And you know their track record of keeping the power on and restoring it immediately in the case of weather-related outages, such as blizzards and tornadoes.
    Nebraskans have several reasons to celebrate Public Power. Our state is the only one in the nation that is totally served by public power. Other states have investor-owned utilities that are in the business to make money. Electric utilities in Nebraska are in business to provide affordable, reliable and safe electricity.
    Nebraska has its heritage to celebrate when it comes to public power. In 1936 Nebraska Senator George Norris worked to get the Rural Electrification Act passed. He believed that public power represented a way to ensure that every citizen was provided with reliable service at a reasonable price.
    Nebraska’s rural electric utilities are dedicated to energy efficiency, too. Public Power Month is a good time to look at your local electric utility’s low- or no-cost programs designed to help reduce energy consumption and save you money. The programs help consumers gain control over their energy use.
    In Nebraska we create electricity from a number of sources, including coal, nuclear, hydro-power and wind. The energy efficiency programs offered by local electric utilities help reduce the need for additional power plants to be built in the future.
    Take a minute to tell your electric utility “thank you” for working to keep rates low and the power on.