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View from the Utility Advisory Board
06/02/07
View from the Utility Advisory Board
Another in the continuing series of guest bloggers that represent District 1, we look at the Utilities Advisory Board. When I was first considering appointments last year after my election, I wanted someone for the UAB that had a background in either (a) finance/accounting, (b) engineering, or (c) power utilities. The District 1 Representative, Billy Thompson, actually fits two of those qualifications, which I did not expect to find. Mr. Thompson retired from the customer service area of TXU, combining accounting and utility experience.
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I am listing the major items that the Utility Advisory Board (UAB) have covered since I went on the board.
- We reviewed in detail the 2007 CIP Budgets (Solid Waste, Waste Water, Water, & Electric). On December 14, 2007, Chairman Jim Hope, Billy Thompson, and Paul Hoffman presented our recommendations to the council work session.
- On a monthly basis, we review the monthly rate comparison of all electric companies within the TXU area and each month we find that GP&L is always in the lower part of the chart. Normally GP&L is the lowest for the month.
- The UAB has been reviewing the recommendations for PURPA (Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act). The entire board agreed with the recommendations presented to the council on May 15, 2007 for their approval.
- We also have reviewed the current UAB Policies, Procedures, By-Laws, Mission Statement, Duties of the UAB, and the UAB Responsibilities. Changes have been made where needed.
- We have worked with staff on the Energy Conservation Strategies that the city is looking at. More will be coming soon on this.
- We have spent a great amount of time looking at the hold time that customers are dealing with when calling the customer service department of the city. A great amount of progress has been made by the department to lower this HOLD time.
- At the April 2007 meeting we had the opportunity to meet the new Director of GP&L, Ray Schwertner. He will be a part of our meetings each month.
- We have begun looking at the COOL CITY CLIMATE INITIATIVE. We are making suggestions to the chairman for items that we feel can be accomplished within the city.
- We have listed some future items that we will be reviewing within the next few meetings.
- Long term plans for the Castle Landfill.
- Long term plans for the Hinton Landfill.
- Technology to extend the life of the Hinton Landfill.
These are only the major items. I have enjoyed my first year serving District 1 on the UAB and look forward to continuing to serve to the best of my ability. We have some great items in the works that we will be reviewing and working on.
The Utility Advisory Board meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30 P.M. at City Hall.
3 comments
Comment from: J. Andrews [Visitor]
Per Mr. Thompson's post: "On a monthly basis, we review the monthly rate comparison of all electric companies within the TXU area and each month we find that GP&L is always in the lower part of the chart. Normally GP&L is the lowest for the month."Isn't GP&L still a municipally owned utility?
What other municipally owned utility is GP&L being compared to and for what period of time ? The comparison charts on the PUC's website are reporting different findings for MOU's in Texas.
The Texas surveyed average for MOU residential rates was 9.4 cents per kwH.
The GP&L rate was not reported or figured in this average.
In June of 2006, 3 other Texas MOU's, were all reporting a per kwh range of 9.1 cents to 9.9 cents. These were the rates AFTER an average 10 % INCREASE from the June 2005.
When has GP&L been ever been within this price range, upper or lower?
GP&L's rates has been around 12.9 cents and I don't understand how this price is "lowest" at all.
I don't understand how he reports on your website that.... "we find that GP&L is always in the lower part of the chart". What MOU chart, (with the PUC) is this being reported on? Does he mean, if GP&L's rate was reported, that the physical printed layout of the chart would geographically( perhaps even alphabetically?), locate GP&L's rate on the lower part of the chart? : )
06/06/07 @ 08:12
Comment from: Douglas [Visitor]
Mr. Thompson's report is completely accurate. Numerous power utilities compete in the Metroplex and customers on GP&L enjoy virtually the lowest rate of them all. The only two that have been lower in the last few months do not include any franchise fees in their calculation, while GP&L does. Ignoring these facts and referencing utilities outside the Metroplex ignores the other factors that influence rates: transmission costs, generation costs, fuel costs, and multiple other factors. A utility benefiting from nuclear production or hydroelectric generation would have lower costs. Finding a lower rate from utilities outside the Metroplex without considering the multiple factors that go into the rate provides no information at all. One demonstrated fact, if you want to live in the Metroplex, GP&L has consistently had among the very lowest rates. If you want to live in San Antonio or Seattle or Hong Kong you may or may not find cheaper rates. When most people write their checks to pay their electric bill, they usually only care about the bottom line, not whether it was to a municipally-owner or investor-owned utility. The cost of living in Dallas is the highest in Texas, 15% over many other Texas cities.
06/07/07 @ 00:57
Comment from: J. Andrews [Visitor]
Demonstrating the ability to evade a direct question about the status of GP&L's identity as an entity and rationalizing it to the cost of living in a foreign country and the far northwest portion of the United States while suggesting one relocate is not appreciated. A year ago, it would have been surprising to hear this from one on this side of the horseshoe. How quickly things change. The rarified air must be very addictive.Perhaps it is appropriate considering how frequently the citizen's of Garland are told of this validity of apples to oranges comparisons. Yeah it's all "fruit" but I don't want oranges substituted in my grandmother's apple pie recipe and being "told" its the same thing. So what if it doesn't taste right ? How lucky I am to have any pie at all considering all the starving kids in Africa (again, I should be grateful right, because apple pies in Hong Kong are very very expensive).
Despite the continued onslaughts of officials to obtusely obfuscate, Most people don't appreciate being sold oranges from their own orange groves at a retail prices and having once trusted officials justify it by comparing it to the pricing of organically grown apples from Washington State. It makes them wonder why they had to buy the grove in the first place and continue to remortgage it every year with more and more debt.
While it may be a geographical oddity, It must also be a blessing to officials, that most of the people stupid enough to accept inane pontifications for the status quo continue to live and/or are trapped here in Garland. Pass the horseradish gravy for my orange pie please......
06/07/07 @ 08:42
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