Electric rates go up January 1 for Liberty Utility customers

Submitted by paula on Mon, 12/12/2016 - 3:46pm

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Beginning January 1, 2017, customers of Liberty Utilities will see an increase in their electric bills from just under one percent to 17 percent.

The average residential small business customer will see a small increase, while larger commercial customers will see substantial change in their bills (A1 customers less than one percent, A2 16 percent and A3, 17 percent). Rates would have been higher had savings in fuel and energy costs been figured in.

Liberty Utilities says these increases will fund two major capital improvement projects, the Luning Solar Project in Mineral County, Nev. and the 650 Electric Line Upgrade Project between Truckee and Kings Beach. The extra funding also covers $2.5 million in vegetation management in Portola and Alpine and Mono Counties.

Luning Solar Project

This 50 MW solar installation located in Mineral County, Nevada is the first-ever solar facility owned by Liberty Utilities. Once it is put into service in first quarter of 2017, it will supply about 25 percent of Liberty customers’ energy needs. Luning will provide clean, emissions-free solar power at competitive rates to customers for many years. Power generated from this new solar facility will replace energy currently purchased from other sources. In addition, in the years following 2017 the capital costs associated with this project will decrease due to depreciation and customers will correspondingly pay a declining amount. This solar plant will also contribute significantly and cost-effectively toward Liberty meeting California’s mandated Renewables Portfolio Standard in 2017 and beyond.

650 Electric Line Upgrade Project

Phase 1 of this project was completed in the fall of 2016, and consisted primarily of upgrading and replacing an aging power line between Truckee and Kings Beach to improve reliability. Old wooden poles were replaced with those constructed of a steel material that weathers with time to resemble wood, as well as replacing wire to eventually operate at a higher voltage.

The rate increase shouldn't come as any surprise as customers were notified of the change in November, as required by regulations.