Garland Power and Light (GP&L) residents received a nice New Year's surprise in January bills with the statement - "You can believe your eyes" - along with a lower electric bill.

After months of market research, studies, debates, and preparation, Garland City Council and staff recently decided on the new rate structure that would enable Garland Power and Light to remain competitive when the newly deregulated electric retail market opened in January. In fact, the new structure makes Garland Power and Light bills, for a given usage, lower than TXU.

Garland Power and Light is able to offer lower bills as a result of Efficient municipal operation Local control of rates Lower fuel costs In addition, Garland Power and Light continues to place strong emphasis on infrastructure improvements such as distribution and transmission facilities, as well as building additional generation capacity to supply Garland with reliable power for years to come.

In making the decision to not enter the electric deregulation market, the City Council had to make sure that the most important priorities were in place - that the bills would be lower, that the service would be solidly reliable, and that Garland customers could have access and input into electrical service.

"We have looked at this issue from every angle - our relationship to TMPA, our service levels, and long-term affects on not entering the market. When it was all said and done, we believe, with total confidence that we are making the best fiscal and customer-oriented decision we could make for Garland Power and Light rate payers," said Mayor Jim Spence. "We are affected personally, and we are responsible as elected officials - our reputation is on the line - we had to be right."