Bryan Municipal Utilities (BMU) celebrates Public Power Week (#PublicPowerWeek) October 4-10 with more than 2,000 community-owned, not-for-profit electric utilities that collectively provide electric service to 49 million Americans.

 

“We’ve certainly seen our share of challenges this year,” said BMU Director of Utilities, Nathan Gardner “But we continue to pull together with a common goal: keeping Bryan services reliable,” said Gardner.  “We are excited to join other Public Power communities, nation-wide to celebrate our community ownership.”

 

Today BMU has a total of 21 employees dedicated to operating our electrical system that includes a Power Plant, the Auglaize Hydroelectric Plant, a Solar Field, 6 Substations, and 130 miles of electric lines that continuously serve approximately 5,070 residential customers and 760 commercial and industrial customers.

To commemorate Public Power Week, BMU invites the community to a community movie night on October 10, 2020, at dusk at 1425 East High Street, Bryan. (Williams County East Annex parking lot) Hotel Transylvania and Twister will be the feature shows on the big drive-in screen. Admittance is a free-will donation to benefit the Bryan Good Neighbors Utility Fund. The program provides emergency bill paying assistance to BMU customers who cannot make their payment and are in danger of having their electricity, water, and/or communications services shut off. The program is funded by donations from generous community members and has helped 30 families as of July 30, avoid service disconnection this year.

All are welcome. Parking and bathroom facilities are available on site. Facial coverings and social distancing protocols will be followed. We ask for all visitors to honor these requests in order for our community to continue to have the opportunity to participate in events.

 

Activities of the evening include:

  • Hotel Transylvania– a 2012 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation. The film tells the story of Count Dracula, the owner of a hotel called Hotel Transylvania where the world’s monsters can take a rest from human civilization.
  • Bryan Public Power Trivia intermission game
  • Twister- a 1996 American disaster film that depicts a group of storm chasers researching tornadoes during a severe outbreak in Oklahoma.
  • Pence’s Carmel Corn and Cotton Candy

 

Customers are encouraged to check the BMU Facebook page and website at www.cityofbryan.net for additional information.

 

“BMU would like to extend a special thank you for helping us bring this community event to fruition, to the City of Bryan, Williams County Commissioners, Bryan Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bryan Movie Theatre,” said Gardner.

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Public Power Week is an annual national event coordinated by the American Public Power Association in Washington, D.C. The American Public Power Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. The Association represents public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the more than 49 million people that public power utilities serve and the 93,000 people they employ. It advocates and advises on electricity policy, technology, trends, training, and operations. Its members strengthen their communities by providing superior service, engaging citizens, and instilling pride in community-owned power. More at www.PublicPower.org.