Power in the Public Interest was formed by utilities and utility-organizations interested in promoting state, regional, and federal electricity policies that secure for consumers a reliable, affordable, and durable electricity system.

Participants in PPI include:
   
    Imperial Valley Irrigation District
    Northern California Power Agency
    Public Power Council
    Sacramento Municipal Utility District
    Santee Cooper
    Southern California Public Power Authority
    Tacoma Public Utilities

PPI's Executive Director is Marilyn Showalter, who has served previously as chair of the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission, as president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), and as executive director of the Public Power Council.  She has also served as chief clerk of the Washington State House of Representatives and as legal counsel to the governor of Washington.  She is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

MISSION.  Power in the Public Interest provides a clear, focused and dedicated voice, which insists in various forums that retail and wholesale electricity structures be measured by their ability to deliver reliable, cost-effective, and publicly accountable service to end-use consumers over the long term.  PPI advocates for structures and policies that best meet these measures, and critiques or opposes those that don’t.

PRINCIPLES.  PPI’s advocacy is guided by the following principles:

 ·         Public Accountability.  Every person, business, and community needs electricity to thrive in the modern world.  Electricity consumers justifiably expect, and elected officials should provide, meaningful lines of accountability between consumers and the utilities and regulators who serve them.

·         Reliable, Cost-Effective Delivery.  Electricity consumers deserve a reliable power supply at prices that, on average and over time, reflect the cost of producing that power plus no more than a reasonable profit.

 ·         Equitable Prices.  Prices for electricity should reflect a reasonable allocation among classes and generations of consumers, with no group bearing an undue burden.

·         Ability to Meet Other Constraints.  Given any set of environmental, security, or similar constraints, electricity structures should meet them cost-effectively and equitably.