About BWL

Hometown People. Hometown Power.

The Lansing Board of Water & Light is a municipally-owned public utility that provides safe, reliable and affordable utility products and services to around 100,000 electric and 58,000 water customers throughout the greater Lansing area.

Our roots go back to 1885, when Lansing citizens approved building a water system. Electricity was added to our list of utility services in 1892, and steam heat in 1919. Chilled water was added in 2001.

The BWL is governed by a Board of Commissioners made up of eight local citizens who are appointed by the Lansing mayor and approved by city council. The board expanded in 2014 to include three non-voting members representing areas of our service territory outside the City of Lansing.

The BWL owns 2,000 miles of overhead and underground power lines and more than 800 miles of water mains, providing 2.7 million megawatt hours and 7 billion gallons of water to customers annually.

Mission Statement

The mission of the BWL is to provide a safe, reliable and affordable utility experience through public ownership, climate consciousness and innovative strategies. 

Vision Statement

The vision of the BWL is a commitment to being the “Utility of the Future” while supporting community growth. The BWL will provide carbon neutral utility products, services and programs with exceptional customer service that are financially accessible to all customers. This will be accomplished by utilizing evolving, cutting-edge technology, as well as partnering with the Greater Lansing region and a highly skilled, diverse workforce.

Value Statements

Integrity

We provide safe, reliable and affordable service in an ethical and conscientious manner. This responsibility includes our impact on the planet and people we serve.

Innovation

We evolve operations by mitigating business and environmental risks with foresight and agility.

Initiative

We are goal-oriented and results driven.

Inclusion

We celebrate and value differences.  As a corporate citizen that is publicly owned, contributions from our employees and customers are instrumental to our success. 

Careers

Work with us! We're more than just one of Lansing's largest employers, the BWL is a great place to build a career. With over 800 employees, we offer a competitive compensation and benefits package.

Governance

The BWL is governed by a board of commissioners, made up of eight voting-members who represent the City of Lansing and three non-voting members who represent the outlying cities and townships we serve.

Strategic Plan

We have prepared an updated BWL Strategic Plan as a high-level tool to provide a roadmap of strategic goals and objectives to meet growing industry changes.