1. Discussion regarding rates for specific customer classes, including faith-based, community, and not-for-profit organizations, school districts, industrial users, and out-of-city ratepayers; rate design for distributed solar and energy efficiency goals; and the design and scope of low-income customer assistance programs. 2. Discussion regarding Austin Energy’s 2011 audited finances, off-system wholesale power sales in the nodal market, connection and disconnection fees, and Austin Energy revenue requirements not addressed in prior work sessions. 3. Discussion regarding fixed charges and alternatives, revenue regulation, inverted block rate structures, bundled rate plans for low-use customers, and the components and calculation methodology for the fuel charge. 4. Discussion and possible action to give preliminary direction to the City Manager regarding prior work session topics: financial policies governing debt service coverage ratio, capital projects debt-to-equity ratio, reserve funds, and interim revenue options; general fund transfer levels and calculation methodology, other transfers, and payments for shared services; distributed generation and energy efficiency goals, and the design and funding of low-income electric customer assistance programs; budget reduction options, line extension and new service policies, and revenue regulation and decoupling; and cost-of-service methodologies for allocating costs among customer classes in setting Austin Energy electric rates. 5. Discuss participation by the independent consumer advocate, Paul Chernick of Resource Insight, Inc., in future Austin Energy rate work sessions, and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Resource Insight, Inc., to provide participation through the end of the City Council rate review process in an amount not to exceed $70,000. 6. Discussion and possible action regarding amendments to the rate work session schedule and topics.
1. Discussion regarding rates for specific customer classes, including faith-based, community, and not-for-profit organizations, school districts, industrial users, and out-of-city ratepayers; rate design for distributed solar and energy efficiency goals; and the design and scope of low-income customer assistance programs. 2. Discussion regarding Austin Energy’s 2011 audited finances, off-system wholesale power sales in the nodal market, connection and disconnection fees, and Austin Energy revenue requirements not addressed in prior work sessions. 3. Discussion regarding fixed charges and alternatives, revenue regulation, inverted block rate structures, bundled rate plans for low-use customers, and the components and calculation methodology for the fuel charge. 4. Discussion and possible action to give preliminary direction to the City Manager regarding prior work session topics: financial policies governing debt service coverage ratio, capital projects debt-to-equity ratio, reserve funds, and interim revenue options; general fund transfer levels and calculation methodology, other transfers, and payments for shared services; distributed generation and energy efficiency goals, and the design and funding of low-income electric customer assistance programs; budget reduction options, line extension and new service policies, and revenue regulation and decoupling; and cost-of-service methodologies for allocating costs among customer classes in setting Austin Energy electric rates. 5. Discuss participation by the independent consumer advocate, Paul Chernick of Resource Insight, Inc., in future Austin Energy rate work sessions, and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Resource Insight, Inc., to provide participation through the end of the City Council rate review process in an amount not to exceed $70,000. 6. Discussion and possible action regarding amendments to the rate work session schedule and topics.
1. Discussion regarding rates for specific customer classes, including faith-based, community, and not-for-profit organizations, school districts, industrial users, and out-of-city ratepayers; rate design for distributed solar and energy efficiency goals; and the design and scope of low-income customer assistance programs. 2. Discussion regarding Austin Energy’s 2011 audited finances, off-system wholesale power sales in the nodal market, connection and disconnection fees, and Austin Energy revenue requirements not addressed in prior work sessions. 3. Discussion regarding fixed charges and alternatives, revenue regulation, inverted block rate structures, bundled rate plans for low-use customers, and the components and calculation methodology for the fuel charge. 4. Discussion and possible action to give preliminary direction to the City Manager regarding prior work session topics: financial policies governing debt service coverage ratio, capital projects debt-to-equity ratio, reserve funds, and interim revenue options; general fund transfer levels and calculation methodology, other transfers, and payments for shared services; distributed generation and energy efficiency goals, and the design and funding of low-income electric customer assistance programs; budget reduction options, line extension and new service policies, and revenue regulation and decoupling; and cost-of-service methodologies for allocating costs among customer classes in setting Austin Energy electric rates. 5. Discuss participation by the independent consumer advocate, Paul Chernick of Resource Insight, Inc., in future Austin Energy rate work sessions, and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Resource Insight, Inc., to provide participation through the end of the City Council rate review process in an amount not to exceed $70,000. 6. Discussion and possible action regarding amendments to the rate work session schedule and topics.
1. Discussion regarding rates for specific customer classes, including faith-based, community, and not-for-profit organizations, school districts, industrial users, and out-of-city ratepayers; rate design for distributed solar and energy efficiency goals; and the design and scope of low-income customer assistance programs. 2. Discussion regarding Austin Energy’s 2011 audited finances, off-system wholesale power sales in the nodal market, connection and disconnection fees, and Austin Energy revenue requirements not addressed in prior work sessions. 3. Discussion regarding fixed charges and alternatives, revenue regulation, inverted block rate structures, bundled rate plans for low-use customers, and the components and calculation methodology for the fuel charge. 4. Discussion and possible action to give preliminary direction to the City Manager regarding prior work session topics: financial policies governing debt service coverage ratio, capital projects debt-to-equity ratio, reserve funds, and interim revenue options; general fund transfer levels and calculation methodology, other transfers, and payments for shared services; distributed generation and energy efficiency goals, and the design and funding of low-income electric customer assistance programs; budget reduction options, line extension and new service policies, and revenue regulation and decoupling; and cost-of-service methodologies for allocating costs among customer classes in setting Austin Energy electric rates. 5. Discuss participation by the independent consumer advocate, Paul Chernick of Resource Insight, Inc., in future Austin Energy rate work sessions, and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Resource Insight, Inc., to provide participation through the end of the City Council rate review process in an amount not to exceed $70,000. 6. Discussion and possible action regarding amendments to the rate work session schedule and topics.
Apr 30, 2012 City Council Work Session- Austin Energy
1. Discussion regarding rates for specific customer classes, including faith-based, community, and not-for-profit organizations, school districts, industrial users, and out-of-city ratepayers; rate design for distributed solar and energy efficiency goals; and the design and scope of low-income customer assistance programs. 2. Discussion regarding Austin Energy’s 2011 audited finances, off-system wholesale power sales in the nodal market, connection and disconnection fees, and Austin Energy revenue requirements not addressed in prior work sessions. 3. Discussion regarding fixed charges and alternatives, revenue regulation, inverted block rate structures, bundled rate plans for low-use customers, and the components and calculation methodology for the fuel charge. 4. Discussion and possible action to give preliminary direction to the City Manager regarding prior work session topics: financial policies governing debt service coverage ratio, capital projects debt-to-equity ratio, reserve funds, and interim revenue options; general fund transfer levels and calculation methodology, other transfers, and payments for shared services; distributed generation and energy efficiency goals, and the design and funding of low-income electric customer assistance programs; budget reduction options, line extension and new service policies, and revenue regulation and decoupling; and cost-of-service methodologies for allocating costs among customer classes in setting Austin Energy electric rates. 5. Discuss participation by the independent consumer advocate, Paul Chernick of Resource Insight, Inc., in future Austin Energy rate work sessions, and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Resource Insight, Inc., to provide participation through the end of the City Council rate review process in an amount not to exceed $70,000. 6. Discussion and possible action regarding amendments to the rate work session schedule and topics.
1. Discussion regarding rates for specific customer classes, including faith-based, community, and not-for-profit organizations, school districts, industrial users, and out-of-city ratepayers; rate design for distributed solar and energy efficiency goals; and the design and scope of low-income customer assistance programs. 2. Discussion regarding Austin Energy’s 2011 audited finances, off-system wholesale power sales in the nodal market, connection and disconnection fees, and Austin Energy revenue requirements not addressed in prior work sessions. 3. Discussion regarding fixed charges and alternatives, revenue regulation, inverted block rate structures, bundled rate plans for low-use customers, and the components and calculation methodology for the fuel charge. 4. Discussion and possible action to give preliminary direction to the City Manager regarding prior work session topics: financial policies governing debt service coverage ratio, capital projects debt-to-equity ratio, reserve funds, and interim revenue options; general fund transfer levels and calculation methodology, other transfers, and payments for shared services; distributed generation and energy efficiency goals, and the design and funding of low-income electric customer assistance programs; budget reduction options, line extension and new service policies, and revenue regulation and decoupling; and cost-of-service methodologies for allocating costs among customer classes in setting Austin Energy electric rates. 5. Discuss participation by the independent consumer advocate, Paul Chernick of Resource Insight, Inc., in future Austin Energy rate work sessions, and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Resource Insight, Inc., to provide participation through the end of the City Council rate review process in an amount not to exceed $70,000. 6. Discussion and possible action regarding amendments to the rate work session schedule and topics.
1. Discussion regarding rates for specific customer classes, including faith-based, community, and not-for-profit organizations, school districts, industrial users, and out-of-city ratepayers; rate design for distributed solar and energy efficiency goals; and the design and scope of low-income customer assistance programs. 2. Discussion regarding Austin Energy’s 2011 audited finances, off-system wholesale power sales in the nodal market, connection and disconnection fees, and Austin Energy revenue requirements not addressed in prior work sessions. 3. Discussion regarding fixed charges and alternatives, revenue regulation, inverted block rate structures, bundled rate plans for low-use customers, and the components and calculation methodology for the fuel charge. 4. Discussion and possible action to give preliminary direction to the City Manager regarding prior work session topics: financial policies governing debt service coverage ratio, capital projects debt-to-equity ratio, reserve funds, and interim revenue options; general fund transfer levels and calculation methodology, other transfers, and payments for shared services; distributed generation and energy efficiency goals, and the design and funding of low-income electric customer assistance programs; budget reduction options, line extension and new service policies, and revenue regulation and decoupling; and cost-of-service methodologies for allocating costs among customer classes in setting Austin Energy electric rates. 5. Discuss participation by the independent consumer advocate, Paul Chernick of Resource Insight, Inc., in future Austin Energy rate work sessions, and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Resource Insight, Inc., to provide participation through the end of the City Council rate review process in an amount not to exceed $70,000. 6. Discussion and possible action regarding amendments to the rate work session schedule and topics.
1. Discussion regarding rates for specific customer classes, including faith-based, community, and not-for-profit organizations, school districts, industrial users, and out-of-city ratepayers; rate design for distributed solar and energy efficiency goals; and the design and scope of low-income customer assistance programs. 2. Discussion regarding Austin Energy’s 2011 audited finances, off-system wholesale power sales in the nodal market, connection and disconnection fees, and Austin Energy revenue requirements not addressed in prior work sessions. 3. Discussion regarding fixed charges and alternatives, revenue regulation, inverted block rate structures, bundled rate plans for low-use customers, and the components and calculation methodology for the fuel charge. 4. Discussion and possible action to give preliminary direction to the City Manager regarding prior work session topics: financial policies governing debt service coverage ratio, capital projects debt-to-equity ratio, reserve funds, and interim revenue options; general fund transfer levels and calculation methodology, other transfers, and payments for shared services; distributed generation and energy efficiency goals, and the design and funding of low-income electric customer assistance programs; budget reduction options, line extension and new service policies, and revenue regulation and decoupling; and cost-of-service methodologies for allocating costs among customer classes in setting Austin Energy electric rates. 5. Discuss participation by the independent consumer advocate, Paul Chernick of Resource Insight, Inc., in future Austin Energy rate work sessions, and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Resource Insight, Inc., to provide participation through the end of the City Council rate review process in an amount not to exceed $70,000. 6. Discussion and possible action regarding amendments to the rate work session schedule and topics.