September 10, 2013

SAN ANTONIO — The newly formed Re-Energize San Antonio Coalition called on CPS Energy to meet a set of conditions before following through with an October rate hike.

Describing the hike as an increase that will "unfairly burden residential taxpayers,"coalition members called on CPS to take steps to reduce pollution, waste and costs for consumers.

The coalition presented its demands in a petition handed off to the utility during the Monday, Sept. 9 CPS Rate Case Input Session held at the TriPoint Grantham Center.

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September 10, 2013

The newly formed Re-Energize San Antonio Coalition put its opposition to CPS's proposed rate hike on the record during a Sept. 9 citizen's input meeting. Coalition representatives presented the utility with a plan of action that they want addressed before an increase goes into effect. Here's the petition.

Submitted to CPS Energy during the CPS Rate Case Input Session, Monday, Sept. 9, 2013.

Energy Conservation

• CPS must prioritize energy conservation and efficiency. The rates must create energy-conservation incentives for all users, not just home-owners but also businesses, non-profit organizations, and governmental offices. City policies and CPS internal policies and budgets should prioritize energy conservation and create disincentives for unsustainable growth

• To that end, CPS's rate change should set up multiple tiers. For example, the first "x" kilowatt hours used each month (e.g., the minimum amount of electricity necessary for a family of five to maintain a healthy home) should cost less than the current rate. The next "y" kilowatt hours used each month (e.g., an amount between "x" and the current median household usage per month) could be billed at the current rate. The third tier (e.g., from the median — 50th up to the 75th percentile of the current usage) of kilowatt hours per month could be billed at 105 percent of the current rate, and any usage above the 75th percentile could be billed at 120 percent of the current rate.

• Similarly, CPS's rate change must not unfairly burden residential and small-business rate-payers. There should be no discounted or "wholesale" rates for energy-intensive businesses. If CPS needs to develop new energy-producing facilities, the funds should come from the businesses that use that energy to make their profits. Any rate "breaks" should be based only upon measurable social benefits that the business provides, such as employing large numbers of workers at living wages. Wholesale rates to other communities should be predicated upon their engaging in similar energy conservation efforts, linked with their retail rates for selling that energy. There should be multiple tiers of energy rates for businesses, too, to reward energy efficiency and conservation. Profitable businesses should be willing to invest some of those profits in San Antonio's future. Already we have many examples of companies taking that "high road," but CPS needs to embed such investment as a requirement in its rate structure.

• Most of the increased income from residential rate changes should be earmarked for extensive and effective programs for improving the energy-efficiency of homes — specifically, those owned by working-class or impoverished families. The remainder of the increased income from residential rate changes could be applied to help small-scale landlords of rental units upgrade the energy efficiency of apartments and houses. Some of the increased income from business rate changes should be earmarked for investment in city-owned and public/private decentralized local renewable energy-production — to replace non-renewable sources now used, but also to prevent the city from being "captive" to some of the energy-producers from which we now buy wind-generated energy. Another portion could be earmarked for improving the energy-efficiency of not-for-profit institutional buildings, such as schools.

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