TECO Energy subsidiary Tampa Electric said it was the first time in its history it had enjoyed a first-place ranking.

The SEE, a non-profit, non-political trade association of investor-owned electric utilities, listed Tampa Electric in the top quartile of its peers with respect to power generation and transmission and distribution operations.

The company achieved the lowest incidence rate among all participating electric utilities in the southeast in the first quarter of this year and maintained its ranking through the second quarter.

Overall, the company had the second-lowest incidence rate among the 17 companies participating in the 2012 data comparison.

Fellow TECO subsidiary Peoples Gas was also recently named by the American Gas Association as having the lowest incidence rate among medium to large companies in 2012.

“I am so proud of this outstanding performance by the men and women in our electric and gas divisions,” Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas president Gordon Gillette said.

“Safety is our number one corporate value and I have seen first-hand how our culture of proactive identification and correction of possible safety issues and looking out for each other has served us well.”

Tampa Electric serves more than 687,000 customers in west central Florida and Peoples Gas serves more than 345,000 customers in most of Florida’s major metropolitan areas and beyond.

TECO Energy’s other major subsidiary, TECO Coal, owns and operates coal production facilities in Kentucky and Virginia.