DWP ratepayer advocate predicts fee increases, recommends delaying city’s 100% clean energy timeline
LA TimesThe Los Angeles Department of Water and Power building on June 7, 2015. Los Angeles residents and businesses will face higher electric bills as the Department of Water and Power transitions to 100% clean energy, according to a report by the city’s Office of Public Accountability. Monthly bills could rise 7.7% annually in the coming years if the city sticks to its goal of 100% clean energy by 2035, according to the report, which deems the cost “not reasonable” for customers and recommends delaying the 2035 benchmark. DWP bills are expected to go up because of new systems to distribute the clean energy and new technology such as “smart” thermostats, as well as staffing increases, according to the Office of Public Accountability. If the city pushed its deadline to 2045 — the state’s yardstick — bills would rise 4.8% annually starting that year, the report said, calling the increase “modest.” Under the 2035 scenario, the increase could be even higher than 7.7% annually, depending on how the DWP decides to transition to clean energy.
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Column: Who will make sure L.A. reaches 100% clean energy by 2035?
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