Superior Water, Light & Power, an ALLETE Company

SWL&P’s statement on commissioning Concentric to study cost of government takeover of SWL&P and its three utilities

Superior Water, Light and Power (SWL&P) has proudly served the Superior community for more than 100 years, providing safe and reliable energy and water services that our customers depend on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We remain committed to that mission and will continue to ensure those same reliable services are available to power their everyday lives, heat their homes, run their businesses, and provide for their families.

Last year, the city of Superior announced its interest in taking over SWL&P’s electric, natural gas and water utilities. SWL&P has stated repeatedly its desire to continue serving the people and businesses of Superior just as it has for the past 135 years. Our focus continues to be on delivering excellent service and supporting the community we call home while working in partnership with the city on ideas that improve the quality of life for the people of Superior.

To ensure that any discussion about the future of utility services in Superior is grounded in facts, SWL&P engaged Concentric, an experienced and independent evaluator, to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study and identify the costs that residents would incur during a takeover of SWL&P’s electric, water and natural gas systems.

The findings of Concentric’s study are clear: it would cost the city of Superior between $274 million and $306 million to take over SWL&P’s assets and create three new city-owned utilities. The significant cost to take over these assets will likely have far-reaching impacts on both utility and city services for residents.

We felt it was important to conduct this study to ensure any discussion about the future of utility services in Superior is informed by objective, expert analysis of the costs that taxpayers would bear in the event of a utility takeover.