Frequently Asked Questions
- What is IMPA?
- Who are IMPA's Members?
- What are the benefits of being a member of IMPA?
- How does IMPA meet its members’ power supply needs?
- Can any city or town join IMPA?
- Why do some municipals have an electric utility and others don't?
- What is Public Power?
- Why is Public Power more reliable?
- What is the difference between IMPA and a municipal utility?
- What is the difference between IMPA and an REMC?
- What is the difference between IMPA and an IOU?
- Why are some utilities regulated by the IURC and others not?
- What is IMPA doing to protect the environment?
- What is IMPA?
- Created by Indiana state statute in 1980, the Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA) is the non-profit wholesale power provider to 51 cities and towns across the state of Indiana as well as one Ohio community.
- Who are IMPA's members?
- IMPA's members are 51 cities and towns across the state of Indiana that own and operate their own electric distribution systems and purchase generation and transmission service from IMPA. As a member of IMPA, each community has a say in the operations of the Agency and has voting rights on the IMPA Board of Commissioners. The Village of Blanchester, Ohio, is a power supply only customer and therefore does not have voting rights.
- What are the benefits of being a member of IMPA?
- IMPA provides its member systems with reliable generation and transmission service at very competitive prices, as well as power supply planning, engineering, economic development, government relations and communications services.
- How does IMPA meet its members’ power supply needs?
- IMPA uses a portfolio of generating resources to meet the power supply needs of its member systems. This includes a combination of Agency and member-owned generation with long-term, firm power purchases and some seasonal market purchases. IMPA conducts power supply studies regularly and monitors load growth to ensure it has ample generating or purchased power resources available to meet the growing needs of its member communities.
- Can any city or town join IMPA?
- Only cities and towns that own their own electric distribution systems may become members of IMPA. There are 72 of these entities in the state of Indiana at present, and 51 are members of IMPA.
- Why do some municipals have an electric utility and others don't?
- That was a choice made by the city or town a long time ago, some over 100 years ago. Some cities and towns chose to purchase or construct their own electric distribution systems in order to locally control the delivery and cost of electricity to citizens and businesses. Those cities and towns in Indiana who do not own their electric utility are currently served by either an investor-owned utility (IOU) or a rural electric membership cooperative (REMC) as designated by state territory law.
- What is Public Power?
- Public power utilities are owned by the community which they serve. There are over 2,000 community-owned electric utilities in the United States, serving over 44 million people or about 14 percent of the nation's electricity consumers. Public power utilities are operated by local governments to provide communities with reliable, responsive, not-for-profit electric service. Public power utilities are directly accountable to the people they serve through local elected or appointed officials.
- Why is Public Power more reliable?
- Public Power systems are typically more reliable because they are locally owned, operated and controlled. The individuals who work on the system live in the area and do not need to be dispatched from a remote location in the event of a service interruption.
- What is the difference between IMPA and a municipal utility?
- IMPA is a wholesale power provider to municipal electric utilities, providing generation and transmission services. Local municipal electric utilities provide distribution (retail) service.
- What is the difference between IMPA and an REMC?
- IMPA is a wholesale electric provider to municipalities. REMCs can be either wholesale or retail providers of electricity to rural consumers. IMPA was formed by its member utilities, while the member utilities are owned by the cities and towns. REMCs are owned by the consumers (members) in their service territories.
- What is the difference between IMPA and an IOU?
- IMPA is a wholesale electric provider to municipalities, and as such is a not-for-profit cost-based entity focused on serving its members and their customers with low-cost, reliable power. IOUs are for-profit entities that exist to make a profit for their shareholders.
- Why are some utilities regulated by the IURC and others not?
- Investor-owned utilities are required to be regulated by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), which provides oversight of electric rates for consumer protection in Indiana. Municipalities and REMCs are not required to be regulated by the IURC, or may opt-out of IURC regulation, by virtue of the fact that their rates can be overseen and regulated by their local government or board.
- What is IMPA doing to protect the environment?
- IMPA is working very hard with all its power supply partners to ensure that each of its generating facilities meets or exceeds Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) environmental standards. The Agency has implemented a variety of environmental technologies at all of its plants to reduce pollutant emissions to below the levels set forth by the government. In addition, two of IMPA's jointly owned facilities - Gibson Station and Trimble County Station - are home to many species of wildlife, including several which are endangered. Several IMPA members also participate in environmental programs throughout their communities which promote the planting of electric-system-friendly trees and shrubs.
Have a question that's not on the FAQ list? Contact IMPA at info@impa.com.
