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Council weighs power-rate options and hears about proposed peaking plant near Soda Springs
Summary
Officials reviewed power-fund reserves and modeled rate increases; a representative proposal from Lower Valley Energy for natural-gas peaking units in the Soda Springs area drew council comments about siting and capacity.
Staff presented a power-fund worksheet showing roughly $2 million in reserves and a $1.2 million list of needed projects such as pole testing and a hydro circuit breaker's replacement. The presenter said those projects would leave the fund with a modest cushion and discussed whether to keep the reserve or use part of it to support other funds.
Council also reviewed scenarios for small percentage increases to the power base rate. "If we increase that to 10% ... you're still below regional comparative rates," the presenter said, using a 9.9 cents/kWh baseline to show a 10% rise would increase a 1,000 kWh monthly bill from about $99 to about $109. Separately, council members discussed a proposal by Lower Valley Energy for reciprocating engine peaking units near Soda Springs that could range from 1 MW to 10 MW per unit; the company suggested a 20 MW project would cost on the order of $30 million.
