Blue Earth County Utilities

Blue Earth County Utilities are business enterprises that provide essential public services including electricity, natural gas, water, and sewer services in Blue Earth County, MN. Because of the infrastructure required to deliver services, a monopoly is often the most economical way for an utility service to operate. Blue Earth County Public Utility Companies serve all of the customers for a particular service in Blue Earth County.

• Blue Earth County Utilities billing and payments
• Sewer rates and water bills
• Setting up Utilities
• Power outages
• Natural gas hookups

Utilities in Blue Earth County, Minnesota may be publicly owned enterprises or private companies. In both cases, the primary source of revenue supporting the Utility is user fees paid by customers. In the case of publicly owned Utilities, the assets of the Utility are owned by the Blue Earth County Government Utilities Department, but it operates as a self-sustaining public enterprise supported by its own revenues rather than relying on taxes to fund operations.

In Minnesota, Utilities are regulated by the Blue Earth County Public Services Commissions or Public Utilities Commission. Public Services Commissions are necessary when monopolies exist or in cases where competition is very limited, to ensure that Blue Earth County consumers receive safe, reliable, and reasonably priced services from competent and financially viable companies. Blue Earth County Utilities must receive approval for the rates they charge and they are also required to demonstrate to the Blue Earth County Public Services Commission that they have plans to maintain an infrastructure capable of supporting current and future demand for services.

Blue Earth County Electric Utilities are the most likely to function as a hybrid of monopoly and competitive services. Only one system for transmitting and delivering electricity to customers is feasible in a given service area such as Blue Earth County, MN. Therefore, transmission and distribution of electricity operates as a monopoly and customers do not have a choice when selecting their Blue Earth County electric power company. However, the electricity in the Blue Earth County electric grid may come from numerous suppliers.

Water Utility Services in Blue Earth County provide potable tap water directly to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers through a distribution system.

Blue Earth County Sewer Service Companies receive wastewater from customers via sanitary sewers at a wastewater treatment plant. The Sewer Utility treats the wastewater to reduce pollutants before it is released into Blue Earth County waterways.

Blue Earth County Natural Gas Companies are essentially local distribution companies that deliver natural gas, received from large capacity interstate or intrastate pipelines, to individual customers through small diameter distribution pipelines.