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Washington council approves 10% electric base-rate cut after NCEMPA debt payoff
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Summary
The Washington City Council voted to cut the city’s electric base rate by 10% for all customers following NCEMPA’s July 2025 final debt payment, which council members said creates financial flexibility for operating and capital needs.
The Washington City Council on Oct. 13 approved a 10% reduction to the city’s electric base rate for all customers, following a July 1, 2025 final debt payment by the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA).
Councilmember Richard Brooks moved the reduction and Councilmember William Pitt seconded the motion; the measure passed unanimously among the members who voted. Council discussion cited NCEMPA’s debt retirement as creating flexibility to address operating costs, capital improvements and future wholesale rate changes.
The council’s packet included a press release from NCEMPA noting the agency completed its long-term debt plan and made its final generating-asset payment on July 1, 2025. The press release quoted Mayor Eddie Braxton, chairman of the NCEMPA Board of Commissioners, saying, "The completion of the long-term debt plan represents the determination and fortitude of public power communities and leaders in eastern North Carolina." It also quoted Roy Jones, CEO of ElectriCities of North Carolina, saying, "When NCEMPA made its last debt payment on July 1, 2025, public power made history and forged a stronger future for our eastern North Carolina communities." The press release language was included with the council materials and discussed by council members during the agenda item.
Council did not attach conditions to the rate reduction in the meeting record. City staff did not provide a multi-year fiscal impact analysis during the hearing; the meeting minutes note the city sees the debt retirement as an opportunity to distribute savings equitably to customers.
Next steps: the rate change was approved by motion and recorded in the minutes; implementation details (effective date and billing notices to customers) were not specified in the minutes and will be handled by city staff.