The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) named Tampa Electric Co. as the winner of the 2015 Edison Award, the electric industry’s most prestigious honor. The award was given for Tampa Electric’s innovative partnership to create a reclaimed water project at its Polk Power Station, near Mulberry.

The project will allow Tampa Electric to collect reclaimed water from the city of Lakeland, treat it and use it for cooling water at the Polk Power Station – and it will provide significant environmental benefits for generations to come. The project includes a reclaimed-water pumping station and 15-mile pipeline between the city of Lakeland's wetland treatment system and Tampa Electric's Polk Power Station. It also includes a water-treatment system and two deep-injection wells – more than 1.5 miles underground – on Polk Power Station property.

Tampa Electric, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, is part of the TECO Energy family of companies. Tampa Electric serves more than 700,000 customers in West Central Florida. TECO Energy Inc. is an energy-related holding company with regulated electric and gas utilities in Florida and New Mexico: Tampa Electric, Peoples Gas System and New Mexico Gas Co. Other TECO Energy subsidiaries include TECO Coal, which owns and operates coal-production facilities in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

The 88th annual Edison Award, recognizing distinguished leadership, innovation and progress in advancing the electric power industry, was presented June 8 during the EEI Annual Convention in New Orleans. A panel of former electric utility company chief executives selected the winner from among three domestic finalists.