Lake Apopka Natural Gas District CEO and General Manager Brent E. Haywood
By Brent Haywood, General Manager and CEO of Lake Apopka Natural Gas District
In Summary:
Lake Apopka Natural Gas District CEO and General Manager Brent E. Haywood says the district's Energy Choice initiative is designed to preserve natural gas as an option for residents and businesses. He argues that decisions made when new developments are planned can determine whether future homeowners have access to natural gas. Haywood also points to Apopka's adoption of an Energy Choice ordinance as recognition that residents and businesses should have multiple energy options as the city grows.
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Ask Apopka residents why they chose their home, and you will probably hear several different answers. The same is true when people choose a vehicle, a phone provider, or where they shop. Families make decisions based on their needs, priorities, and budgets.
Related: Lake Apopka Natural Gas District earns national gold-level operational excellence award.
Energy should be no different.
That idea is at the heart of Lake Apopka Natural Gas District's Energy Choice initiative, and it is especially meaningful as we celebrate Public Natural Gas Week, October 4-10. Energy Choice means residents and businesses should be able to determine which energy sources work best for them. For some, that may include natural gas. For others, it may not.
What matters is having the opportunity to decide.
Lake Apopka Natural Gas District has been serving this region for more than six decades. The District was created in 1959 by the cities of Apopka, Winter Garden, and Clermont, whose leaders recognized that providing natural gas could help meet the needs of their growing communities.
Today, more than 31,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers rely on our system throughout West Orange and South Lake counties. We are proud when someone chooses natural gas, but Energy Choice is not about forcing that decision.
- It does not require a homeowner to connect to natural gas service.
- It does not dictate what type of stove, water heater or other appliance a family must purchase.
- It does not tell a business owner how to operate their business.
It simply works to ensure natural gas remains an available option. That is important because the opportunity to choose can disappear long before a homeowner ever moves into a neighborhood.
When streets and utilities are being planned for a new development, decisions are made about which infrastructure will be installed. If natural gas infrastructure is included during that process, a future homeowner can decide whether to use it. If it is not, adding service later may be difficult or impractical.
And the City of Apopka has recognized that principle as well.
By adopting an ordinance in support of Energy Choice, the City has taken a position that residents and businesses should have options when deciding how to meet their energy needs. As Apopka continues to grow, preserving access to multiple energy sources gives current and future homeowners and business owners greater flexibility to make the choices that work best for their families, properties, and operations.
For a community like Apopka, where growth continues to bring new residents and businesses, planning ahead matters. It also reflects the public-service mission of our District.
Because Lake Apopka Natural Gas District is community-owned, we do not answer to private shareholders. We answer to the communities and customers we serve. That responsibility includes maintaining a safe and reliable system, providing responsive customer service, and planning for the region's future.
Public Natural Gas Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate natural gas, but it is also an opportunity to listen.
We are asking our customers to tell us why they chose natural gas. Some may point to reliability. Others may mention affordability, cooking, or the convenience of having another energy source available to their home or business.
Every answer will be different. And that is precisely the point. People have different needs. Families have different priorities. Businesses have different operating requirements.
They deserve the ability to choose accordingly.
You can learn more at www.langd.org/energychoice
Key Points:
- Lake Apopka Natural Gas District's Energy Choice initiative advocates keeping natural gas available as an option rather than requiring customers to use it.
- The district was created in 1959 by Apopka, Winter Garden, and Clermont and now serves more than 31,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
- Haywood says installing natural gas infrastructure during development gives future homeowners the opportunity to choose service, while adding it later can be difficult or impractical.
- The City of Apopka has adopted an ordinance supporting Energy Choice and access to multiple energy sources.
- Haywood says Public Natural Gas Week, observed Oct. 4-10, provides an opportunity to highlight why customers choose natural gas and emphasize that different households and businesses have different energy needs.
