March 25th meeting on CPS Energy Rate Request @ La Villita

Mary Alice Cisneros (photo)

District 1 Councilwoman

The CPS Energy Board of Trustees and the utility's Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 25th, at Villita Assembly Building, 401 Villita St., on a proposal to raise electric and natural gas rates to help meet the long-term energy needs of a growing Greater San Antonio.

During the meeting, CPS Energy customers will be able to obtain more information about the rate request that would amount to less than 5 percent on monthly residential utility bills. A proposed affordability discount to help minimize the financial impact on low-income customers also will be outlined.Customers then will have the opportunity to make comment before the CPS Energy Board and CAC.

Registration to speak will open on-site at 5 p.m., and speakers will be limited to three minutes per person. However, an individual may cede his or her time to another speaker, but no speaker may speak for more than nine minutes' total.

Revenue from the electric rate increase will help pay for the following major initiatives to serve CPS Energy customers: construction of a large coal-fired generating unit at Calaveras Lake and the installation of natural gas-fired peaking units at Braunig Lake that will produce affordable electricity; environmental commitments to the community and region including $500 million in emissions-control upgrades to existing power plants; $96 million in customer rebates and incentives as part of CPS Energy's more-aggressive energy-efficiency program; needed infrastructure such as electric substations and power lines; and a detailed study on the possible addition of more nuclear-fueled electrical generation.

To offset the impact of the rate increases on low-income customers, CPS Energy will recommend an affordability discount for those who meet the guidelines for assistance programs such as REAP (Residential Energy Assistance Partnership) and Project WARM. Recipients must be at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level and experiencing financial hardship.