BPU’s new offices at 400 W. Kansas Ave. Occupy a renovated decommissioned power plant.

A decade ago,McPherson received national attention for its inclusion in the book “The 100 Best Small Towns in America.” In 2005, Progressive Farmer ranked McPherson County among the “Top 10 Best Places to Live in Rural America.” And, most recently, businessweek.com named McPherson County the “Best Affordable Place in Kansas.”

So why does the McPherson area continue to attract national attention? One of the many reasons is a long-standing, mutually beneficial relationship between the City of McPherson and its municipal utility, the Board of Public Utilities.

The city first entered the public power business in 1910 by purchasing an existing Power plant for a mere $16,000. Fire destroyed that facility six months later,but it was soon rebuilt. Operating first as the City Water and Light Department and later as the BPU, the utility has been expanding ever since. It now provides electrical power for 30 percent of McPherson County. On the water side, the BPU provides water for the city of McPherson plus four rural water districts. Its water source is the Equus Beds aquifer, located in McPherson, Sedgwick, Harvey and Reno counties.

“As a municipal utility,we are locally owned and locally controlled,” said Tim Maier, BPU general manager. “Our customers are our stockholders.”

The financial benefits to residential, commercial and industrial customers are twofold: lower rates and lower city taxes, Because the BPU makes a quarterly “payment- in-lieu-of-taxes” to the city based on kilowatt hour sales.

Governed by a three-member board appointed by the McPherson City Commission, the BPU owns and operates two power plants, which it uses to provide “peak”power through an agreement with Westar Energy. Base power originates at Westar’s coal-fired facilities in eastern Kansas.

“Eighty-five percent of our energy comes from coal-fired power plants, which is one of the reasons our electric rates are as low as they are,”Maier explained.The BPU employs approximately 70 people.

“All employees live in town or close to town and respond quickly,”Maier said of The BPU’s workforce. “We have good workers who view customer service as important, because they live around the people they serve.”

In March 2011, the BPU moved its business offices into a sleek facility created within a decommissioned power plant near downtown McPherson at 401 W. Kansas Ave. The building, in the words of a plaque still affixed to the old power plant entrance, is a testament to “the ability of people to serve themselves.” Included in the newly remodeled facility is a small museum featuring equipment,photographs and artifacts that trace the parallel growth of the city and the utility. The facility also houses the McPherson Industrial Development Company, an organization founded in 1959 for the purpose Of recruiting and maintaining a strong industrial base for McPherson and the surrounding area. Among the many benefits MIDC touts to interested industries are the competitive rates and reliable service available through the BPU.(mcphersonindustry.com)

Because early city leaders were committed to developing a diverse industrial base to complement the area’s existing agricultural and oil industries,McPherson is often identified as one of the most industrialized small cities in America.

In addition to working 24-7 to meet the power and water needs of its customers, the BPU promotes industrial growth and expansion through ownership of a large industrial park on the city’s east side. The industrial park already is home to Ferguson Production, Premier Castings, Multi-Community Diversified Services and S&R Storage, according to Marvin Peters, MIDC executive director. Large lots are still available.

For many years,McPherson was known as the “Light Capital of the World”because of its progressive, city-wide street lighting program. In 1957, 30,000 people gathered in downtown McPherson to watch the initial illumination of state-of-the-art fluorescent fixtures that bathed Main Street in light that was claimed to be 325 times brighter than moonlight.

Those world-famous fixtures have since been replaced by more energy-efficient lighting, evidence that McPherson and its publicly-owned utility are willing to change with the times.