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Roseville Electric reports REP plant lightning incident, AMI rollout and bond rating upgrade
Summary
Roseville Electric briefed the Public Utilities Commission on a lightning strike at Roseville Energy Park that triggered a shutdown and fire response, progress on automated metering infrastructure deployment, and a Moody’s credit upgrade noted by utility leadership.
Roseville Electric Utility provided several operational updates at the Public Utilities Commission meeting on Aug. 26, including an onsite incident at the Roseville Energy Park (REP), progress on automated metering infrastructure (AMI) and a noted credit rating action.
"Little lightning strikes out there, took out one of our 60 kV lines and ignited a fire in the gas yard," Dan (Roseville Electric Utility chief executive officer) said, describing an incident earlier that day that required the plant to be stopped, personnel to shelter in place and a response by the fire department. Dan said crews were working to return the plant to service and that he had not heard of any lasting damage.
Dan also reported a change in the utility’s credit outlook: "we actually got Moody's to upgrade us, notch from a 1 to double a 3," he said in his update. He said utility staff have engaged financial advisors and bond counsel and are evaluating bond issuance to finance upcoming projects.
On metering, staff reported the AMI rollout has completed about a year of data collection. The system is currently used for billing, credit and collections, and staff said it will enable more advanced engineering and operational initiatives—such as monitoring household 15‑minute demand and better targeting infrastructure upgrades. Staff proposed a fuller AMI briefing to the commission in October when more data and results will be available.
Commissioners flagged customer-protection questions tied to AMI and collections. Dan said the utility uses electric service control as the enforcement tool for collections; water service is not directly shut off by the electric utility. He noted AMI provides remote functionality (including remote disconnect) and said the utility is aware of the operational and customer‑service implications.
No formal actions were taken; the briefing was informational.
