Dec. 21, 2007

 

The LES Administrative Board held its regular monthly meeting Dec. 21, 2007, at the Lincoln Electric Building. Items from the meeting, as well as other pertinent information, include:

 

Public hearing scheduled on 2008 electric rates

Lincoln Electric System (LES) will hold a public hearing on a proposed, system-wide 5.5 percent retail electric rate increase on Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m., at the Walter A. Canney Service Center.

The system-wide retail rate increase will be effective March 1, and is based on the following:

• The addition of new generation, transmission and distribution facilities to serve the growing community (3 percent of the increase);

• The need to begin replenishing the rate stabilization fund (1 percent);

• Increased rates for rail transportation of coal (1 percent); and

• The development of sustainable energy programs (0.5 percent).

Details of the rate change are being developed by staff and the Administrative Board. Draft schedules will be available to the public Dec. 28 at the Lincoln Electric Building at 11th and O streets and the LES Web site.

The timeline calls for...

Dec. 28 – Rate schedules available to the public at LEB and on the LES Web site

Jan. 8 – Public hearing

Jan. 18 – LES Board meeting to consider rate increase

Jan. 28 – Introduction of LES resolution at the City Council

Feb. 4 – City Council public hearing and consideration for approval

March 1 – Rates go into effect

Customer comments solicited for Sustainable Energy Program

Until Jan. 10, LES customers can express their preference for proposed sustainable energy initiatives in 2008 by visiting LES’ Web site. LES will initiate a new Sustainable Energy Program (SEP) in 2008, which seeks to increase its use of renewable energy resources and promote energy conservation and efficiency. LES has allocated nearly $1 million for this program in 2008, which is equivalent to about one-half of one percent of its anticipated revenue for the year.

 
The public will have an opportunity to complete a form to help LES prioritize the proposed sustainable energy projects; the SEP prioritization form is available from the home page of the LES Web site. The sustainable projects customers are being asked to prioritize are as follows:

• Promotion of energy-efficient lighting, such as compact fluorescent lights

• Development of energy conservation kits for homeowners

• Incentive programs for customers to purchase ENERGY STAR® appliances

• Energy-efficiency programs for low-income customers, such as energy conservation workshops, energy audits, energy efficiency devices, among others

• Revitalization of home or business energy audits

• Development of carbon footprint reduction programs

• Promotion and demonstration of hybrid electric vehicles

• Additional wind generation

• Development of a Children’s Museum exhibit featuring energy conservation and efficiency

• Funding for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research

The new Sustainable Energy Program was presented at a public hearing on Dec. 13. In addition, LES took public comments on its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) as part of the Western Area Power Administration’s Energy Planning and Management Program. The federal agency supplies power to LES from its Upper Missouri Basin hydroelectric plants and requires its customers to submit an updated IRP every five years. Integrated resource planning is a process for evaluating the full range of new resource alternatives available for the purpose of providing adequate and reliable service to customers.

 

LES crews help restore power after ice storm

Fourteen LES employees helped restore electric service after an ice storm last week downed lines in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Municipal Power Pool coordinated repair efforts in Falls City and requested the assistance of six employees.

 

Omaha Public Power District asked for help at its Syracuse Operations Center. Eight employees were assigned to work near Pawnee City.

Ron Ecklund recognized for 9 years of service to the Board

LES Administrative Board member Ron Ecklund was recognized by the Board for his nine years of service. Ecklund was appointed by then-Mayor Mike Johanns in December 1998, and was re-appointed by former mayors Don Wesely in 2001 and Coleen Seng in 2004. By City ordinance, Board members may serve a maximum of three, three-year terms. Ecklund also served as chairman of the Board in 2002 and 2003. He attended 100 of 108 meetings, an attendance record of 93 percent. Ecklund is a partner in HBE Becker Meyer Love LLP.

 

Other Reports

The following statistics for November were presented to the Board:

November 2007	November 2006	Change
Number of Customers
126,992	124,781	+2,211 (+1.8%)
Retail Electricity Use (MWh)
237,279	230,657	+6,622 (+2.9%)
12-Month Average Outage Time/Customer (minutes)
36.5	15.4	-21.1

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