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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-05-19 City CouncilBUDGET ’98- ’99 City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO: ATTENTION: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FINANCE COMMITTEE CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: UTILITIES MAY 19, 1998 CMR:194:98 PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH SEPARATE RESERVES FOR DISTRIBUTION AND SUPPLY SERVICES IN THE ELECTRIC AND GAS FUNDS, AND TO ESTABLISH BEGINNING BALANCES IN THESE RESERVES EFFECTIVE JUNE 30, 1998 REPORT IN BRIEF This report requests Council approval of separate rate-stabilization reserves and guidelines for Distribution Service and Supply Service in the Gas and Electric Funds. Additionally, staff recommends that a Public Benefits Reserve be established in the Electric Fund and that the Supplemental Supply Reserve in the Gas Fund.be eliminated. These changes will improve the cost and revenue aceouming for utility services under deregulation. CMR: 194:98 Page 1 of 7 RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that City Council adopt the attached resolution to: 1.Replace the Rate Stabilization Reserve (RSR) in the Electric Fund with a Distribution RSR and a Supply RSR; 2.Replace the RSR in the Gas Fund with a Distribution RSR and a Supply RSR; 3.Approve recommended RSR guideline levels; 4.Establish a Public Benefits Reserve in the Electric Fund; 5.Eliminate the Gas Fund Supplemental Supply Reserve and transfer the balance to the Gas Fund Supply RSR; 6.Establish beginning balances in the Gas Fund Distribution RSR and the Supply RSR, as recommended by staff; 7.Transfer any Electric Fund RSR surplus above the recommended maximum guideline levels to the Calaveras Reserve:, and 8.Implement these recommendations with the 1997-98 Year End Budget Closing Ordinance. BACKGROUND Based on a comprehensive financial review of Utilities reserves, the City Council adopted Utilities reserve policies in 1993 which defined the role of reserves, established a Rate Stabilization Reserve for each fund, and identified reserve guideline levels (CMR:263:93). RSRs were created to cover a number of contingencies including the need to supplement rates to cover distribution expenses and commodity supply costs. Since 1993, deregulation of the electric and gas industries has progressed rapidly. In 1997, the City Council approved several policies related to electric deregulation, including recovery of stranded costs, providing customer choice of supplier, and marketing sales to customers residing outside the City’s service territory (CMR:159:97). Similar actions are being considered for the Gas Utility. Furthermore, the Council approved unbundled electric rates on July 1, 1997 into the four cost components of Distribution, Power Supply, Transition Cost Recovery, and Public Benefits (CMR:219:97). The unbundling of rate charges addressed, among other things, a need for the Electric Utility to account for its distribution business separate from its supply business in a competitive environment. Because of this need to recover costs and capture revenues for specific CMR:194:98 Page 2 of 7 business activities, staff recommends that the existing RSRs in both the Gas Fund and in the Electric Fund be replaced with separate RSR’s for distribution services and supply services. Staff does not recommend changes to the RSRs in the Water, Wastewater, Refuse, or Storm DrainFunds. In addition, to comply with AB1890, staffrecommends that a Public Benefits Reserve be established in the Electric Fund to reserve revenues collected but unspent for Public Benefit programs.. DISCUSSION Under deregulation, a customer may elect to buy electricity or gas from an alternate service provider. As a regulated monopoly providing distribution services, the City would continue providing and charging for distribution ser4,,ice, but would not charge the customer for power or gas supply. In this manner, the utility only charges for services rendered and avoids double charging the customer for supply. Reserves are funded from rate revenues. However, maintaining rate equity may be compromised if rate revenues from separate unbundled services are commingled in the RSR. For example, surplus revenue from distribution services that is placed in the RSR could be withdrawn and applied to fund the cost of commodity purchases. To the extent this occurs, customers and/or competing energy service providers may allege that the City is using its monopoly status as a distributor to gain an unfair advantage in the commodity supply business. It has been this concern that has prompted the California Public Utilities Commission to order the investor-owned utilities to establish subsidiaries to operate their supply business separate from their-distribution business. Furthermore, it is important to separately account for activities in the Electric Utility in order to obtain a clear financial picture of the cost of distribution services and the cost of supply services. Distribution services includes the Capital Improvement Program, operations and maintenance, transfer to the General Fund, rent, administration, allocated charges and other expenses. Supply services includes the commodity cost for wholesale purchases, as well as direct and indirect administrative overhead allocated to the supply services. To determine reserve guidelines which are consistent with the approach taken in the development of the original 1993 reserve guidelines, staff performed an analysis 0f the cost contingencies related to distribution services and a separate analysis of the cost contingencies related to supply services. These cost contingencies included the identification of planned and unplanned events which occur on a one-time basis. Examples of cost contingencies include, but are not limited to, funding Budget Amendment Ordinances and end-of-the-year budget variances, funding increased operating costs for a two-year period to defer a rate increase while providing rate stability, and price variances for commodity supply. In addition, sales revenue shortfalls caused by abnormal weather periods were identified for both services, including the adverse impact on Calaveras hydroelectric capacity. CMR:194:98 Page 3 of 7 The sum of the contingencies for each service becomes a benchmark to establish the approximate target guideline level. Identi~ing the target level is the basis for calculation of the maximum and minimum guideline levels shown in this report. Finally, various measures such as percentages of revenues or costs were evaluated to yield the appropriate target guideline level. In the Gas Fund, the current RSR guidelines are as follows: Minimum Guideline Level Target Level Maximum Guideline Level = *20 percent of sales revenue in current year = midpoint between max. and min. levels = twice the minimum level *The 20 percent is an approximation and can vary slightly from year to year Based on the cost contingency analysis for the Gas Fund, staff recommends that these reserve level guidelines continue to apply to the Gas Fund Distribution RSR as well as the Supply RSR. Total Gas Fund sales revenue for 1997-98 is $17,247,000 and the percentages of sales revenue related to distribution services and supply services are estimated to be 48 percent and 52 percent respectively. The table below indicates that the sum of the proposed guideline levels for the two separate services is nearly equivalent to the current RSR guideline levels if the reserve remains intact. GAS SERVICE Distribution RSR Supply RSR Sum of RSRs Current RSR 1997-98 SALES REVENUE $ 8,280 . $17,247 MINIMUM GUIDELINE $1,656 $ 3,450 $ 3,401 TARGET GUIDELINE $ 2,484 $ 2,690 MAXIIVIUIVl GUIDELINE $ 3,312 $ 3,586 $ 6,898 $ 6,802 Because a separate reserve would be established for Gas Fund supply services, staff recommends that the existing Gas Fund Supplemental Supply Reserve be eliminated and the balance transferred to the Gas Fund Supply RSR. CMR:194:98 Page 4 of 7 In the Electric Fund, the current guidelines for the Electric RSR are as follows: Minimum Guideline Level= 35 percent of next years power purchase costs Target Level = Midpoint between max. and min. levels Maximum Guideline Level= Twice the minimum level Based on the cost contingency analysis for the Electric Fund Supply RSR, staff recommends that this guideline be modified as follows: 1.Base the guideline on supply services sales less revenue collected for stranded costs. Stranded costs are already accommodated in the Calaveras Reserve. 2.Use the forecast for the budget year instead of the following year forecast. 3.Reduce the applicable percentage from 35 percent to 30 percent. Therefore, the proposed guidelines for the Electric Fund Supply RSR are: Minimum Guideline Level Target Level Maximum Guideline Level = 30 percent of supply services sales revenue less stranded cost revenue = Midpoint between max. and min. levels = Twice the minimum level With regard to the Electric Fund Distribution RSR, based on the cost contingency analysis, staff recommends guidelines as follows: Minimum Guideline Level = 15 percent of distribution sales revenue Target Level = Midpoint between max. and min. levels Maximum Guideline Level = Twice the minimum level Based on 1997-98 Adopted Budget cost and revenue data, total, electric sales revenue is approximately $62.6 million of which approximately $27 million relates to distribution services and $24.3 million recovers supply costs based on market prices. The balance represents sales revenue allocated for the Calaveras Reserve as well as Telecommunications revenue. The following table indicates that the sum of the proposed guideline levels for the twO_ separate services represents approximately a 19 percent increase above the current RSR guidelines. Given the rising uncertainties due to changes in the electric industry, staff believes an increase in the RSR level for the Electric Fund is reasonable. Raising the minimum guideline level to $11.3 million from $9.5 million will not result in a rate increase. Staff anticipates that the Electric Fund RSR will end 1997-98 above the existing and new maximum guideline levels. Staff recommends that any RSR surplus be transferred CMR:194:98 . Page 5 of 7 to the Calaveras Reserve. ELECTRIC 1997-98 SALES MINIMUM TARGET MAXIMUM SERVICE REVENUE GUIDELINE GUIDELINE GUIDELINE Distribution RSR $ 27,063 $ 4,060 $ 6,090 $ 8,120 SupplyRSR $24,269 . ~. $10,920 $14,560 Sum of RSRs $11,340 $22,680 Current RSR $ 9,500 $19,000 In addition, staff recommends that a Public Benefits Reserve in the Electric Fund be created to comply with requirements of AB1890 to set aside a certain percentage of revenues for public benefit programs. This reserve will assure that unspent dollars budgeted for public benefit programs will flow into this reserve and be available for such programs the following year(s). Despite a 12 percent gas rate decrease on 7-1-96 and a proposed 7 percent gas rate decrease effective 7-1-98, the Gas Fund Distribution RSR and Supply RSR will end 1997-98 above their maximum guideline levels. In the Electric Fund, for purposes of allocating any surplus between the two new RSRs, staffproposes any surplus be transferred to the Calaveras Reserve. In the event that the balance in the RSR’s are below their maximum guideline levels, staff recommends that the balances in each RSR be set based on an equal percentage below their respective maximum level~. RESOURCE IMPACT The proposed RSR minimum guideline levels in the Electric Fund and Gas Fund are so far below their estimated balances that increasing rates to build up the reserves is unwarranted. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The staff recommendations in this report reafftnn Council’s policy on the role of reserves as set forth in CMR:263:93. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Approval of a utilities reserve policy does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act. Therefore, an environmental assessment is not required. CMR:194:98 Page 6 of 7 ATTACHMENT Resolution Prepared by:Randy Baldschun, Assistam Director of Utilities, Administrative Services DEPARTMENT HEAD APPROVAL: EDWARD ~/MRIZEK Director of Utilities CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: CMR:194:98 Page 7 of 7 RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO ESTABLISHING AND AUTHORIZING THE FUNDING OF RATE STABILIZATION RESERVES FOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICE AND SUPPLY SERVICE IN THE ELECTRIC AND GAS UTILITIES, ESTABLISHING A PUBLIC BENEFITS RESERVE IN THE ELECTRIC UTILITY, ELIMINATING AND TRANSFERRING THE BALANCE IN THE GAS FUND SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPLY RESERVE TO THE SUPPLY SERVICE RATE STABILIZATION RESERVE, AND TRANSFERRING CERTAIN FUNDS IN THE RATE STABILIZATION RESERVE FOR THE ELECTRIC UTILITY TO THE CALAVERAS RESERVE WHEREAS, pursuant to its Resolution No. 7207, adopted June 21, 1993, and the Utilities Reserve Policy, the Council established rate stabilization reserves for the electric, gas, refuse, storm drain, wastewater and water utilities to replace the system improvement reserves and the transfer stabilization reserves for these utilities; WHEREAS, the recent deregulation of the electric and natural gas industries has effected many changes in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity and natural gas, and the City has revised its utility reserve guidelines in response to these changes; NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Klto does hereby RESOLVE as follows: SECTION i. Section 1 of Resolution Number 7207 is hereby revised to read as follows: "There is hereby created Rate Stabilization Reserves for the Refuse, Storm Drain, Wastewater Collection, Wastewater Treatment, and Water Funds which will replace and incorporate the existing system improvement reserve and transfer stabilization reserve of each fund, as applicable. Rate Stabilization Reserves’ shall be established in order that the City may anticipate both contingent events, where operational and capital improvement costs of the utilities may be impacted, and current circumstances, where operating costs exceed operating revenues. The levels of the Rate Stabilization Reserves shall conform to the reserve level guidelines and other criteria set forth in the Utilities Reserve Policy, as such may be amended from time to time, and shall be accounted for or disposed of by action of the Council during the fiscal year in which revenues are placed therein or in the budget of the next shcceeding fiscal year." 1980421 ayn 0071400 SECTION 2. The Rate Stabilization Reserve in the Electric Fund is hereby replaced by a Distribution Rate Stabilization Reserve and a Supply Rate Stabilization Reserve. SECTION 3. The Rate Stabilization Reserve in the Gas Fund is hereby replaced by a Distribution Rate Stabilization Reserve and a Supply Rate Stabilization Reserve. SECTION 4. There is hereby created a Public Benefits Reserve in the Electric Fund. SECTION 5. The Supplemental Supply Reserve in the Gas Fund is hereby terminated and the funds therein is transferred to the Supply Rate Stabilization Reserve in the Gas Fund SECTION 6. The amounts in the Rate Stabilization Reserve for the Electric Fund which are in excess of the limits that are established in the Utility Reserve Guidelines are hereby transferred to the Calaveras Reserve. SECTION 7. The Council finds that the adoption of this resolution is exempted under the CEQA Guidelines under Section 15273 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST:APPROVED: City Clerk Mayor~ APPROVED AS TO FORM:City Manager Senior Asst. City Attorney Acting Director of Administrative’Services Director of Utilities 9804~21 syn 0071400 2