The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC: "The ''Reliable'' One") is a municipally-owned

public utility A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...

providing water and electric service to the citizens of

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

and portions of adjacent unincorporated areas of

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

, as well as

St. Cloud, Florida St. Cloud is a city in northern Osceola County, Florida, United States. It is on the southern shore of East Lake Tohopekaliga in Central Florida, about southeast of Orlando. The population was 35,183 in the 2010 census, and 54,579 in the 2019 cen ...

, in Osceola County. Established in 1923 by a special act of the

Florida Legislature The Florida Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. State of Florida. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article III, Section 1 of the Florida Cons ...

, OUC is the second largest municipal utility in Florida and 14th largest municipal in the country. OUC provides electric, water, chilled water and/or lighting services to more than 240,000 customers. OUC owns and operates the Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center in east Orange County. The most diverse generating site in the state – natural gas, landfill methane gas, coal and solar are on the 3,280 acre property which can generate more than 1,800 megawatts of electricity. OUC also owns the Indian River Plant near

Cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...

, a 40 percent ownership of

Lakeland Electric Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal cit ...

’s McIntosh Unit 3 in Lakeland, and a 6 percent stake of the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant near Ft. Pierce. The company is governed by a five-member commission (including the

Mayor of Orlando The city of Orlando, Florida, was incorporated in 1875. The first mayor, William Jackson Brack, took office in 1875. The Orlando mayor is officially a nonpartisan election. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer, who was first elected in a special e ...

), which is responsible for all operating policies. OUC also owns and operates seven water plants and a distribution network of more than 1,700 miles of pipe. OUC's water is pumped from the Lower Floridan Aquifer and treated with ozone to reduce the need for other chemicals.

References

External links

Orlando Utilities Commission Official Website
Municipal electric utilities of the United States Water companies of the United States Companies based in Orlando, Florida Public utilities of the United States Public utilities established in 1923 1923 establishments in Florida {{US-energy-company-stub