High Voltage Electric Service

• Definition: The process by which a municipality (city, town, or sometimes public utility district) acquires ownership and operational control of an existing electric utility system from an investor-owned utility (IOU). This converts private service to public/municipal ownership and operation.
  brattle.com
• It typically involves purchasing the utility’s infrastructure (poles, wires, substations, etc.) through negotiation/settlement or, more controversially, via condemnation (eminent domain).
  brattle.com
• Goals often cited: lower rates, local control, better reliability, faster renewable integration, and greater accountability (vs. profit-driven IOUs).
  lsa.umich.edu
• The opposite process is privatization (or demunicipalization), where a public utility sells to a private IOU.
  legislature.maine.gov

This is the standard industry and legal term used by the American Public Power Association (APPA), regulators, academics, and utilities.

Related or Supporting Terms

• Condemnation / Eminent Domain Acquisition — The legal mechanism often required when the IOU resists selling. Municipalities exercise their power to take the assets for "public use" (with just compensation). Many municipalization efforts center on this.
  mckinneylaw.iu.edu
• Public Power Takeover or Formation of a Municipal Electric Utility — Broader descriptive phrases used in advocacy and policy discussions.
  thenextsystem.org
• Acquisition of IOU Assets — Neutral regulatory/financial language for the transfer.
  static1.squarespace.com

Context and ChallengesMunicipalization efforts are relatively rare and difficult. Most recent attempts (over the past 25+ years) have failed due to high costs (valuation disputes, stranded costs, legal battles), voter rejection, or regulatory hurdles. Successful cases often take years or a decade.

Examples of discussions or attempts include Boulder (CO), various California cities, and others exploring local control over utilities like those owned by Xcel, PG&E, etc.These terms are well-established in utility law, public power literature, and state statutes. If you're researching a specific city, state laws on municipalization authority vary significantly.