The City of Mesa has a reason to celebrate: its provided safe, reliable electric and natural gas service to its customers for 100 years. In honor of this milestone, a series of utility box artwork was unveiled today at Mesa City Plaza, with all six locations now available for viewing by the public.
The artwork has been wrapped on electric transformer boxes, traffic signal cabinets and street light boxes along Center Street between Main Street and University Drive. The six locations each depict a different theme of how the publicly-owned utility has "energized" Mesa:
Energizing downtown Mesa
Energizing a safe community
Energizing creativity
Energizing a sustainable city
Energizing a strong workforce
Energizing Mesa's history
"This centennial anniversary is import to commemorate in a long-lasting way," Energy Resources Department Director, Frank McRae, said. "This art series is a permanent opportunity to celebrate our history while also highlighting a few of the 2,870 transformers that power downtown Mesa. We hope the artwork will inspire folks to think of just how impactful natural gas and electricity is to the community. Our energy systems continue to be a valuable community asset and we are committed to continuing our legacy of quality service."
The City of Mesa first acquired their own electric and gas utility in 1917 through purchasing the South Side Gas & Electric Plant from Dr. A. J. Chandler. The plant was located on the southeast corner of Center Street and University Drive in downtown Mesa. Today, the utility provides electricity to more than 16,000 customers and natural gas to more than 62,000 customers.
Facts about Mesa's electric utility
16,700 residential and commercial customers served
5.5 square-miles of service in the heart of Mesa
449 miles of distribution lines
4 substations
Facts about Mesa's natural gas utility
79 pressure regulator stations
326 square-mile service area
1,300 miles of distribution lines (high-pressure and intermediate-pressure mains)
5 gate stations (where the gas is brought into Mesa)