Hetch Hetchy Power, the City’s publicly owned utility managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), is proud to serve and partner with affordable housing providers in San Francisco to support their mission of building communities that enhance the quality of life for residents.

For Carlos Benjamin Magana, Hispanic Heritage Month means more than just one month throughout the year. For Magana, this month means unity, family, culture, and pride in where he came from. “This month means a lot to me. I am very proud of my culture, my people, and every accomplishment we have achieved throughout the years. I’m proud of how we have influenced the community in San Francisco, and throughout the country in general,” said Magana. “I am a proud Latino, but especially more so being from a family of Mayan descendants.”

When it comes to public power, San Francisco is showing how it’s done. For more than 100 years, Hetch Hetchy Power has provided publicly owned, clean, reliable electricity for San Francisco. As a not-for-profit enterprise owned and operated by the community, the SFPUC is proud of our team and the people behind public power who provide nonstop, high-quality service to our customers in San Francisco.

“My father was a pilot and my mother a college professor who came to the US and raised a family of 6 children. In doing so, they instilled cultural values and ensured all their children were bilingual, multicultural, educated, and well-traveled,” said Rita Aracelly Moana Tuialu’ulu’u. “I take great pride in being Latina, specifically one of Costa Rican and Cuban heritage that was raised in California, Hawai’i, and Florida.”

Meet High Voltage Maintenance Lineworker, Michael “Yoga Mike” Conroy, who recently joined the SFPUC. As an electrical lineworker, Conroy’s day-to-day responsibilities vary. From helping other lineworkers, digging trenches, breaking and refinishing concrete, to installing new light poles and removing old ones, Conroy makes certain that all circuits are properly connected to ensure the street lights are on and working for San Franciscans.

Every year, during the first full week of October, public power utilities across the country celebrate Public Power Week to highlight the benefits of community-owned electricity providers, such as lower rates, better service reliability, cleaner energy, and more community oversight. It’s during this time that we take a moment to celebrate the impact and work of San Francisco’s public power utility: Hetch Hetchy Power.

“You know how when you’re a kid, you kind of hate where you come from? Not me. It’s actually something I have always been very proud of,” said Jorge Torres. “I’m from Kern County, where Cesar Chavez organized the Delano Grape Worker Strike,” Torres said about the famous strike that began in 1965 when farm workers refused to work picking grapes near Bakersfield, California