GP&L Marks 80 Years of Service

GARLAND, December 9 , 2003 -- In the early '20s, rural areas around Dallas were pretty much in the dark. For the City of Garland, the lights came on April 1923, when C.E. Newman flipped a switch that roared to life the East Side generating plant that would later bear his name.

In 80 years, the goal of GP&L has remained unchanged - provide high quality electric service to the citizens and businesses of Garland with a locally owned and controlled not-for-profit utility. In today's deregulated environment, GP&L makes sure that it offers customers the best possible service at competitive rates.

With more than 67,000 customers, GP&L is the third largest municipal utility in Texas and the 39th largest in the nation. GP&L has three gas-fired generation plants and an electric distribution system with 372 miles of overhead lines and 405 miles of underground lines. Its transmission system consists of eighteen substations and 120 miles of transmission lines.

Recent major developments include the 2003 purchase of the Spencer Power Plant, increasing generating capacity by as much as 166 megawatts. Also in 2003, the City's Customer Service Department was migrated to GP&L, a move that promises to bring customers improved attention to their city services.

"At GP&L we are constantly looking for ways to anticipate and exceed our customers' needs, while managing costs," said Art Martinez Assistant Director, Electric Utilities. "We are part of the community, and we try to prove it every day," he added.