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Since 1909, Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU) has proudly provided reliable, affordable power to Bryan and the Brazos Valley. As a public power utility owned by the City of Bryan, our focus is on serving the community.
Key Facts:
- Service Area: Over 68,000 customers in Bryan, portions of College Station, Brazos County, and portions of Robertson and Burleson Counties.
- Generation: Own and operate more than 215MW of natural gas-fired generation with power purchase agreements for solar and wind resources.
- Public Power: Our customers enjoy lower rates and higher reliability than the state and national averages. Local elected officials who understand the community provide guidance for the utility.
- Infrastructure: BTU has more than 2,500 miles of distribution lines and approximately 200 miles of transmission lines across the service territory.
- Community: We reinvest in local infrastructure, public safety, and educational programs.
Bryan Texas Utilities' Mission is to improve the quality of life of our community by providing exceptional reliability and excellent customer service at competitive and stable rates.
BTU's Board
The BTU Board was created in 2001 by the Ordinance of the Bryan City Council to oversee the operations of the electric utility. Board member positions are appointed by the Bryan City Council.
The BTU Board of Directors meets on the second Monday of the month at 4 p.m. Meeting date, time, and location is subject to change with notice.
Bryan Texas Utilities' Story
Utilities in Bryan became municipally owned in 1909 following a fire that burned down Bryan City Hall and Opera House. The failure of the privately owned Bryan Ice, Water & Light to put out the blaze spurred the City to run the utility system itself to prevent such issues in the future.
In 1911, the City of Bryan purchased its first electric distribution system from Bryan Ice, Water & Light for $7,650, and street lights on Main Street in Downtown Bryan were installed.
In 1913, Bryan Ice, Water & Light posted their first profit of $874, at a time when milk was $0.13 per gallon. The company also installed its first diesel engine generator.
The citizens of Bryan officially owned, what was then called the Bryan Power Company, as of 1919. At that time, there were approximately 768 customers being served by the company, primarily for lighting.
As the Great Depression began coming to a close, the City of Bryan joined in the relief efforts by obtaining a loan from the Rural Electric Administration (REA) to establish a Rural Electric division in 1938. The service territory was expanded to customers in Brazos, Burleson, and Robertson counties.
Approximately 800 miles of powerline were installed, and the rural division extended as far west as Tunis in Burleson County, and as far north as Wheelock in Robertson County.
In the 1940s, the Bryan Municipal Power Plant was built on Atkins Street, beginning with one steam electric unit. It would eventually be home to seven generating units. By the time the City of Bryan entered the 70s, BTU had grown to well over 12,000 municipal and residential customers. It became clear that a more modern generating facility was needed. The Roland C. Dansby Power Plant, named for former Mayor Dansby, was built 5 miles north of the City of Bryan in 1978 with one steam unit, powered by natural gas with a fuel oil backup system. Lake Bryan was built as the cooling source for the plant.
In the '70s, BTU joined three other municipally-owned utilities, Garland, Greenville, and Denton, to form the Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA). In 1982, the joint power agency cooperatively constructed the Gibbons Creek Power Plant in Carlos, Texas. The 470 MW coal-fired steam unit expanded BTU’s generation by over 100 MW.
Dansby Power Plant received a new, environmentally conscious, and cost-effective generating unit in 2004 to meet the demands of BTU’s growing customer base, increasing the plant's capacity to 115 MW. Atkins Power Plant, having reached the end of its operational lifespan, was decommissioned in 2006.
In 2009, BTU marked 100 years of service to the community with a special exhibit at the Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley. That same year, a third generating unit was installed at Dansby Power Plant, further enhancing BTU’s energy production.
In 2010, BTU introduced Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI), or 'Smart Meters,' across its service area, and by 2012, all customer meter data was being transmitted wirelessly.
In 2014, BTU became the only public power utility in Texas to receive the American Public Power Association's (APPA) prestigious Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) Diamond award, recognizing BTU for excellence in reliable and safe electric service. That same year, BTU completed the South Loop Project, a 40-mile, 138kV transmission upgrade that added capacity to its 120-mile infrastructure. This project also included three new substations—Wellborn, Koppe Bridge, and Millican Switch—serving southern Brazos County.
BTU earned a second three-year APPA RP3 Diamond award designation in 2017. That year, BTU also donated a new exhibit to the Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley—the 'Bryan Texas Utilities Illumination Station,' featuring a large LED-lighted pegboard designed to inspire creativity and fine motor skills development in children.
In October 2018, BTU assumed full management of Lake Bryan Park, which had previously been operated by a third-party contractor. Since then, BTU has invested in significant upgrades, including new restroom and camping facilities, as well as amenities like the Paddle EZ paddleboard and kayak rental station.
In 2020, BTU was honored with a third consecutive RP3 Diamond award, continuing its commitment to providing reliable public power.
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