ELECTRIC
Electricity first arrived in Bryan in 1889 when the Bryan Electric Company, a private utility organized by out-of-town investors, obtained a contract with the village for the installation of electric street lights. In 1896, the street lighting contract came up for renewal. The village council asked for better service at a lower rate, but the Bryan Electric company balked. After reaching a stalemate, the council called for a special election to vote on issuing $15,000 of village bonds to purchase or build a municipally-owned power plant and electrical distribution system. The vote was 402 to 54 in favor, and Bryan began its first century in the electric utility business.
Today, Bryan Electric Department maintains more than 130 miles of electric lines–10 miles of 138,000 volt transmission line, 26 miles of 69,000 volt transmission line, and more than 100 miles of distribution lines. Approximately 220 million kW hours go through 6,030 electric meters every year. We also do our own construction. We are continually improving our electrical system by upgrading as we replace old poles, transformers, wood arms, and worn out wire. We converted the old 4,160-volt system to a more efficient 12,470-volt system. This new voltage gives us the ability to supply power for future industrial and residential growth.
Demands on the Electric Department have grown a great deal since 1896, but one thing has remained constant. Bryan’s Electric crews have maintained the city’s electric system to provide safe, reliable power for all the citizens. While outages are rare, our dedicated crews work in any kind of weather to restore electric power to our customers. We are located here in Bryan and are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to keep the lights on.
Community Services
The Electric Department is proud to provide valuable services, including approximately 8.4 million kW hours of electricity annually, to the community of Bryan without charge:
- Electricity for city buildings and facilities
- Electricity for parks, pools, and other recreational areas
- Electricity for Bryan Community Center
- Electricity for the county and emergency medical service
- Electricity for all street and security lights
- Electricity for all traffic signals
- Materials, installation and maintenance of city street lights
- Materials, installation and maintenance of city parks and athletic fields lights
- Installation and maintenance of Christmas lights on the Courthouse
Contact Information
Regular business hours of the Electric Department are weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We can be reached by phone at 419-633-6100 or by e-mail: electric@cityofbryan.com
Link to a copy of the Bryan Electric Department General Rules and Regulations or request a copy by calling 419-633-6100 or by e-mailing us at utility@cityofbryan.com.