Jan.
18, 2008
The Lincoln Electric System Administrative Board held its
regular monthly meeting Jan. 18. Items from the meeting, as well as other
pertinent information, include the following:
Board Approves 5.5% Rate Increase; Sent to City Council for Consideration
An average, system-wide 5.5 percent rate increase was approved by the Lincoln
Electric System (LES) Administrative Board at its meeting Friday (1/18).
The Lincoln City Council is expected to take action on the rate increase in
February. The increase would take effect on or after March 1. A typical
residential customer who uses an average of 1,000 kWh per month will see an
average increase in his or her electric bill of $3.49 per month.
The system-wide retail rate increase is based on:
-
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).
In
addition, the Board’s action would also:
-
Discontinue the water heater credit implemented in 1982 to encourage the
installation of winter electric loads and to provide a way to control summer
peaking loads. LES has not implemented such a control.
-
Discontinue the renewable energy rider started in 1998 to allow customers to
contribute to the installation of the two wind turbines at 70th and Bluff
Road. Currently, 902 customers participate in the program.
-
Discontinue the off-site meter rider of $1 a month for customers’ use of
meters that are remotely read. LES intends to install more off-site meters and
automatic meter reading devices to the future.
-
Revise the maximum bill provision for 124 customers in the General Service
Demand and Large Light and Power classes that limits their total bill to an
average of 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Since that amount was implemented
in 1982, rates have increased 30 percent. The Board increased the limit to 12
cents per kWh.
-
Clarify the heating service requirements.
-
Increase the temporary service fee from $70 to $90.
-
Increase the customer/developer aid-to-construction fee to $540 per lot from
$400 per lot.
-
Clarify language in tenant and property owner provisions when a disconnection
of service is requested.
The
timeline for consideration of the rate increase is:
-
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.
Officers Elected for 2008 Board
The Administrative Board re-elected Ron Melbye chair, Kathy Campbell vice
chair and Dawn Rockey secretary Friday (1/18) at its January meeting.
Ron is a sales and account representative at Ayars & Ayars, Inc. He also
serves as mayor of Waverly. Campbell is executive vice president of the CEDARS
Home for Children Foundation. Rockey is executive director of Court Appointed
Special Advocate for Children (CASA for Lancaster County).
Ron, who served as Board chair in 2007, also has held the offices of vice
chair and secretary. He begins the third year of his second term on the
Administrative Board. Kathy starts the second year of her second term. Dawn
was re-appointed by Mayor Chris Beutler to serve on the Board and is beginning
the first year of her second term.
New Board Member Seated at Meeting
Patrick Beans was seated as the newest member of the LES Administrative Board.
His term expires in December 2010.
He fills the vacancy created by the departure of Ron Ecklund, who served nine
years on the Board, the maximum time allowed.
Patrick is the chief financial officer for National Research Corporation,
which he joined in 1994. He also was employed at the Central Interstate
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission, Dynalectric/JWP – Power Enterprises
Division and Dana F. Cole & Co., Certified Public Accountants.
He is a 1979 graduate of Doane College in Crete. He has served on the boards
of the Lincoln Community Foundation, Lincoln East Booster Club, Goodwill
Industries and Doane College Trustees, as well as several committees at First
Plymouth United Church of Christ.
Other Reports
The following statistics for December 2007 were presented to the Board:
|
December 2007 |
December 2006 |
Change |
|
Number of Customers |
|
126,978 |
124,887 |
+2,091 (+1.7%) |
|
Retail Electricity Use (MWh) |
|
277,197 |
253,029 |
+24,168 (+9.6%) |
|
12-Month Average Outage Time/Customer
(minutes) |
|
37.7 |
15.4 |
+22.3 |
Top
