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City of Palo Alto Utility Rate Changes FY 2013 Facility Managers’ Meeting August 16, 2012 Ipek Connolly, Senior Resource Planner. Summary of Rate Changes. Electric -> No change since July 2009 Gas -> Supply charge: All customers on market-based commodity charge (similar to G-3)
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City of Palo Alto Utility Rate Changes FY 2013 Facility Managers’ Meeting August 16, 2012 Ipek Connolly, Senior Resource Planner
Summary of Rate Changes • Electric -> • No change since July 2009 • Gas -> • Supply charge: All customers on market-based commodity charge (similar to G-3) • Distribution charge: Varying adjustments based on cost of service. • Water -> • Commercial: +18% • Irrigation: -8%
Summary of Rate Changes (continued) • Wastewater -> • Overall: +5% • Billing basis for all customers: Average winter water use • Refuse -> • No change for commercial customers • Storm Drain -> • +2.9% based on CPI
Gas Utility Rate Changes Commodity rate changes monthly based on spot market gas price Based on budget estimate: 35% decrease to supply charges for non-G-3 customers Overall increase to distribution charges Cost of Service alignment by rate class: G-2 distribution rate: +18% G-3 distribution rate: +93%
Need for Rate Adjustments • Council direction to move to market-based commodity rates for all customers • No rate adjustment since 07/2009 • Decrease in commodity costs • Increase in distribution costs • Investments in infrastructure • Cross bore program • Energy efficiency investments • General Fund transfers • Cost of Service Study for full compliance with Proposition 26
Need for Water Rate Increase • Rising cost of water supply due to investments in infrastructure, reliability, safety ($2.5 million) • Water purchase costs increase • City’s CIP program costs increase • Revenue loss due to lower water demand ($2.4 million) in both FY 2012 and FY 2013
Rising cost of treatment due to required capital expenditures for the Treatment Plant ($0.6 million) Rising cost of collection system operations ($0.4 million) Need for Wastewater Utility Rate Increase