Ogden district reports spike, says gas shock cost $500,000 in one month; pushes preventative maintenance and controls to curb bills

Logan Murphy, the district construction and energy manager and certified energy manager, told the Ogden City School District board at its March work session that electricity and natural-gas costs have risen sharply in recent years and outlined steps the district is taking to limit exposure.

Murphy said nationwide electricity costs rose about 9.6% over the past three years and that Utah experienced larger increases, in part because Rocky Mountain Power requested a rate increase that could total about 30% over two years. He warned the board that volatility in the natural‑gas market produced an extreme short‑term hit to the district in January 2023: “we saw a $500,000 increase in 1 month on our natural gas bill.”

Those market conditions prompted the district to move some large facilities off month‑to‑month open‑market purchases and into negotiated block purchases with Summit Energy. Murphy said the negotiated blocks smooth cash flow: the district may pay slightly more in some months and less in…