Jun 2, 2021   SOURCE: BusinessWire

El Paso Electric Submits Required 2021 Base Rate Application in Texas to Comply with PUC Rules

As required by the Public Utility Regulatory Act and the Public Utility Commission Texas (PUC) Rules, El Paso Electric (EPE, or the Company) submitted a base rate application for its Texas customers today.

“The timing is based on the PUC’s Rules that require EPE to file a base rate review no later than four years from the final order in its last rate review, which was December 18, 2017,” stated EPE President and CEO Kelly A. Tomblin. “We are sensitive to the timing of this filing, but we must act according to the process, rules and procedures set forth by the PUC. We continue to be committed to providing safe and efficient energy to every customer, and have invested in maintaining the reliability our customers expect as we prepare for weather extremes.”

The 2021 base rate application asks the PUC to consider almost $1 billion of investments the Company has made into its generation, transmission, and distribution system. This includes the need for addressing additional growth within the service region and the necessary replacements made to infrastructure in order to ensure reliable service. If approved by the PUC, the base rate filing will result in a monthly bill increase of $11.76, or 13.36%, for an average Texas residential customer utilizing 686 kilowatt hours (kWh) .

The filing also proposes a reduction to the minimum bill for all non-grandfathered distributed generation (DG) residential and small commercial customers, from the current $30 to $24.02 and $25.19 respectively. This proposal includes the elimination of the minimum bill for those DG customers who have elected the demand charge time of day rate. Additionally, EPE is proposing to return approximately $2.5 million in excess deferred taxes to customers over the next four years. The application also introduces a new plan to support the deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to ensure our region is ready for the transition to EVs.

The regulatory process can take anywhere from six months to a year to reach a final approved decision. The next step in the process will be for the PUC to assign an Administrative Law Judge and establish a procedural schedule.

About El Paso Electric

El Paso Electric is a regional electric utility providing generation, transmission, and distribution service to approximately 443,240 retail and wholesale customers in a 10,000-square mile area of the Rio Grande valley in west Texas and southern New Mexico.

Facebook @ElPasoElectric | www.epelectric.com | Twitter @ElPasoElectric