BTU Celebrates Public Power Week with 20th Annual Power Pedal (p²)

Mountain Biking and Trail Running Races

Proceeds from Races to be Donated to Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center

Bryan, Texas, October 13, 2012 – BTU is celebrating Public Power Week, Oct. 7-13, along with more than 2,000 other electric utilities that collectively provide electricity on a not-for-profit basis to 45 million Americans.

“Public Power Week is a chance for BTU to articulate why the public power formula works in Bryan," said Gary Miller, BTU Interim General Manager. "We are dedicated to providing excellent service and the lowest rates possible. We are proud to have served Bryan for over 100 years. For us, the hard work is especially rewarding since our customers are our neighbors and friends.”

The festivities for the 20th annual Power Pedal (p²) races will take place on Saturday, October 13 at beautiful Lake Bryan. The races run through the woods, over rock beds, roots and hills, providing participants of all levels and categories with both beautiful scenery and thrilling competition.

Saturday events include the men's and women's 5k and 10k Trail Runs and the men's and women's Trail Mountain Bike Races in standard age categories. Every level of athlete is welcome. p² provides the shorter events for first-time racers and longer challenges for more seasoned athletes. Each event will offer cash prizes and awards. Online registration is available through October 9 with the early online registration ending Monday, September 26. The early registration discount will also end after September 26 and race day registration is available for the non-discounted registration fee. The registration fee includes refreshments, cash prizes, chip timing and a guaranteed T-shirt for early registrants. For more information on the events, please go to www.powerpedal.com or contact the Race Director, Adam Snidow, at asnidow@btutilities.com.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase at The Lakeside Icehouse and Grill. Lake Bryan, with its beautiful setting, is fast becoming a premier family destination in the Brazos Valley.



The p² races are able to run smoothly because of the involvement of many community organizations and dedicated volunteers and the hard work of the Brazos Valley Mountain Bike Association to keep the trails in excellent condition all year long. This year, race proceeds will be donated to Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center which provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, hippotherapy (the use of horses in therapy), aquatic therapy and sensory integration therapy to children and adults in the Brazos Valley who have disabilities.
Public Power Week is a national, annual event sponsored in conjunction with the American Public Power Association (APPA) in Washington, D.C. APPA is the service organization for community and state-owned electric utilities.

Since 1909, when the City of Bryan first purchased its Electric Distribution System and 1919 when Bryan Power Company, now known as Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU), began generating its own electricity, BTU has provided reliable and affordable energy to the community. BTU is a consumer owned electric utility serving customers in Brazos, Burleson and Robertson counties in central Texas. Currently, BTU generates electricity at its Dansby power plant, located north of Bryan and the Atkins plant near downtown Bryan. BTU is also a partner with the cities of Denton, Garland and Greenville, Texas in the Texas Municipal Power Agency, which owns the Gibbons Creek generating station in Carlos, Texas. In a movement toward clean, renewable energy, a solar array was built outside the BTU headquarters in 2010 to supply power to the building and also to be used as an instructional mechanism for citizens to better comprehend the workings of solar power. In 2011, BTU began a 15 year power purchase agreement (PPA) to secure wind power and in 2012, commences a 25 year PPA to deploy a 10 megawatt photovoltaic solar power plant. BTU prides itself on a caring attitude toward the environment and the development and release of innovative products and agreements to provide for the energy needs of its customers. BTU is accessible on the web at www.BTUtilities.com.

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