Utility Board OK’s New Rates for General Service Large Class Users

Lamar Light and Power Plant

The Lamar Utilities Board held their first meeting for 2013 approving several annual agenda items including designating the front entrance to Lamar Light and Power as the open meeting posting site at 100 North Second Street in Lamar; a resolution establishing the interest rate paid on utility deposits per Public Utilities Commission regulations.  There is no change from 2012 to 2013 with the rate of 0.34% per annum for customer deposits. 

During an earlier policy review, Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh informed board members that Non-Residential customers had been receiving disconnect notices which were mailed on the 15^th day of the month after a bill had been 30 days past due.  However, if the amount is not paid by the 25^th day of the month, the account will have electric services disconnected.  Hourieh said letters to Non-Residential customers informing them of the disconnect policy will be mailed shortly. 

Financial statements for Lamar Light and Power for this past November showed total operating revenue for the month is $979,969 with costs at $795,741 for $184,228 in gross operating income.  Net income for the month is $49,534.  Year-to-date revenues for 2012 are $13,515,507 and operating costs were $10,900,054 for $2,615,453 for gross operating income.  Net income, year-to-date is $1,185,184.  When compared to 2011, retail sale revenues are up approximately $897,047 or 7% when November 2012 is compared to November 2011. 

In lieu of a Compliance Order on Consent cash fine of $39,650 that was approved by the board, members opted instead to apply the funds to a water improvement project for the Sheridan Lake drinking water systems.  The fine was applied by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that stemmed from the Lamar Repowering Project’s inability to meet emission compliance at loads above 60% during testing and tuning of the plant last year.  The CDPHE submitted a list of projects the board could fund, and the Sheridan Lake water improvement program was the most local that was available.

Board members also gave final approval to a modificatiion to the General Service Large Class of customers.  Less than a dozen large scale power purchasers received a different rate structure on their kilowatt per hour usage.  A study was conducted by Nebraska Municipal Power Pool and adopted by Lamar Light and Power late last year, along with a 7% rate reduction on power for all general class customers.

By Russ Baldwin