HomeMy WebLinkAboutElectric Board - Minutes - 07/30/2003City Council Liaison
Ray Martinez
Staff Liaison
DeEtta Carr 221-6702
.. ,04=Collins Utilities'ElectriciBoard Miil
Monday, Judy 30, 2003
Electric Board Chairman Electric Board Vice Chairman
Alison Mason 493-1295 Jeff Lebesch 221-0543
Secretary
Leslie Mooney 416-2703
Roll Call:
Board Present
Chairperson Alison Mason, Board members Tracy Babst-Wiedenbrug, Dan Bihn, Barbara
Rutstein, Lisa Skolds, and Linda Stewart
Absent:
Vice Chairperson Jeff Lebesch
Staff Present
Patty Bigner, Bill Bray, DeEtta Carr, Eric Dahlgren, Leslie Mooney, John Phelan, Tom Rock,
Suzanne Jarboe -Simpson, Mike Smith, Dennis Sumner, Ellen Switzer and Wendy Williams
Meetine Convened
Chairperson Alison Mason called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m.
Strategic Plan for Demand Side Management — John Phelan
Chairperson Alison asked what direction/feedback staff needed from the Board.
Wendy Williams, Deputy General Manager, stated that in preparation for the upcoming City
Council study session staff would like to know from the Board such things as whether staff is
going in the right direction with the energy conservation implementation plan; is there something
that the Board wants more emphasis on; is what staff is presenting the way to accomplish the
Board's goals? She stated that the Strategic Plan will also go to the Natural Resources Board and
the Air Quality Board, so Council will have recommendations from three boards.
Chairperson Alison stated that she thought the plan was very comprehensive and that there were
more options presented in the plan than are feasible to accomplish. She observed that rather than
present Council with specific programs, the plan provides examples of programs and the
associated costs.
Electric Board Meeting Minutes
July 30, 2003
Page 2
Mike Smith stated that the City Council will have to be convinced that it is okay to raise rates to
develop conservation programs. The proposal is that customers will pay more initially in order
for the community as a whole to reduce energy consumption. That means that while customers
who participate will save money, non -participants people may not. The energy bill for the
community will decrease.
The Board discussed different approaches to present the plan to Council in light of the proposed
rate increases from Platte River Power Authority and the state of the economy.
Board member Dan Bihn stated that he feels that there needs to be an educational outreach to let
the public know they will be paying for conservation programs.
Board member Barbara Rutstein stated she supports starting with the smaller rate incease (table 6
of the policy) and then ramp up later.
Board member Lisa Skolds stated that she thought that the percent increase should be equitable
across the board in all customer classes.
Bill Bray, Electric Planning and Engineering Services Manager, stated that 3% of kilowatt hour
usage for residential is not the same as 3% of kilowatt hour usage for industrial because the
industrial charge is made up of kilowatt hours, facility demand and coincident demand.
Barbara Rutstein stated that the systems benefit charge (SBC) seemed to be the most equitable
way to raise the funds required for the energy services program, because it is calculated by
customer sector.
Dennis Sumner, Key Accounts Manager, asked what would be the disadvantage of making the
increase a fixed percentage of the total bill and then keeping that money and allocating it back to
each rate class.
John Phelan, responded that he didn't think there was any disadvantage.
Chairperson Mason asked if any of the ideas discussed would violate the goal of staying below
Xcel's rates.
John replied that we are 33% below Xcel in residential rates, 24% below in commercial rates and
26% less on industrial rates. However, our rates are higher than Loveland and Longmont in
residential and commercial; and in industrial we are higher than Longmont but a little bit lower
than Loveland.
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Electric Board Meeting Minutes
July 30, 2003
Page 3
John suggested that the Board might be interested in a simple percentage increase of the total bill
for all customer classes but show it as a separate line item so that the customer understands the
charge is for conservation or energy efficiency programs.
Dennis Sumner commented that he understood that the Board wanted to keep the funding and
program investment by rate category.
John asked the Board for comments on the Criteria for Energy Services Program Plan on page 28
of the proposed plan.
The consensus of the Board was that it was sufficient but wanted to insure that low income
customers were emphasized more in the criteria.
One Board member asked how much is budgeted in the 2004 budget for renewables. Wendy
Williams responded that the proposed budget includes a two percent increase to fund the
renewables goal. The Board was of the opinion that they needed to discuss the issue further
before making a recommendation to Council.
Chairperson Mason suggested that another meeting be scheduled to further discuss both the
Conservation Strategic Plan and renewables options. She volunteered to draft a letter of
recommendation for the Board's review.
Adiournment
Barbara Rutstein made a motion, seconded by Tracy Babst-Wiedenbrug to adjourn. The motion
passed unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 7:48 p.m.
Qa�\
DeEtta Carr, Electric Board Liaison
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