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CenterPoint-TDU Files Base Rate Case For Charges Applied To Retail Providers
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CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC (CEHE) has filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas an electric base rate case
Notable in the filing is that CEHE would reduce the combined flat monthly charge (customer charge and metering) applicable to residential customers from $5.47 to $4.43. Note that the flat amounts are now "per meter" rather than "per retail customer".
CEHE would also institute a new Rider UEDIT – Unprotected Excess Deferred Income Tax to refund to REPs the balance of unprotected excess deferred income taxes resulting from federal tax law changes.
A new Rate Case Expense (RCE) rider would be introduced. The TCRF and DCRF would be zero-ed out since costs would be reflected in base rates; such riders could be updated in the future.
The change in base rates and riders for each customer class is shown below.
CEHE said that the impact of its rate application on a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours ('kWh') per month would be an increase of approximately $2.38 or 5.19% per month. A customer with a retail plan that charges 12.5 cents per kWh would see their rate go to 12.75 cents per kWh, or a 1.91% increase in their total bill, CEHE said
CEHE also filed certain changes to the amounts under RIDER CMC - Competitive Metering Credit. Aside from CMC and the changes listed above, there are no changes to CEHE's existing rider or schedule amounts, other than to remove riders that are no longer being charged (such as Rider AMS, Schedule TC)
CEHE also proposed increases and decreases to various Discretionary Services Charges.
There are generally no changes to the standard Discretionary Services Charges (DSC) for charges related to customers with a standard meter.
One notable DSC change is that for a Self Selected Switch for an AMS-M Meter (no remote disconnect/reconnect capability), a Competitive Retailer Switch On Date Certain would have no charge under the proposed tariff changes, versus the current $23.35 charge
In its application, CEHE is requesting authority to install voltage regulation battery technology, "when necessary and cost-effective," to provide voltage regulation associated with solar
farms, wind generation, and other forms of distributed generation that are expected to be connected
to the company’s facilities in the coming months and years.
"The request is a result of the
Company’s recent experience with the energization of a 5 megawatt ('MW') solar farm.
Following the energization of the facility in early 2019, 4 MW of pump load was regularly being
affected by voltage issues stemming from the solar farm’s intermittency caused by cloud coverage," CEHE said.
"Cloud cover was inducing voltage deviations from the solar farm that occurred too
quickly for the Company's traditional voltage regulation equipment to address," a witness for CEHE said
"Accordingly, the Company requests (1) the authority to install voltage smoothing battery
systems, when necessary and cost-effective, for voltage regulation purposes and (2) to include the
cost of the systems in rate base as depreciated," CEHE said
A witness for CEHE said that the proposed battery systems are not generation assets
"Section 35.151 of the Public Utility Regulatory Act, 'Electric Energy
Storage,' defines electric energy storage facilities that are to be used to sell energy
or ancillary services as 'generation assets.' The battery systems at issue in this
filing will not be used to sell energy or ancillary services. CenterPoint Houston
will purchase any energy needed to charge the batteries, but will not sell energy
expended by the batteries during dips in voltage that might result in outages for
customers when the dip is followed by a corresponding spike," a witness for CEHE said
"The Company estimates that battery systems necessary to assist with voltage
intermittency will generally cost approximately $4.2 million to install and $30,000
per year to operate and maintain," CEHE said
Docket 49421
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Would Reduce Non-Volumetric Charges By Over $1 (20%) For Residential Customers
Would Refund Tax Cut Savings To REPs Via Rider
Seeks Authorization For Use Of Electric Storage
April 8, 2019
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Copyright 2010-19 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
RESIDENTIAL
Current Proposed Change Billing Unit
Base Rates
Customer $1.62 $2.48 $0.86 per meter
Metering $3.85 $1.95 ($1.90) per meter
Transmission $0.008439 $0.015080 $0.006641 per kWh
Distribution $0.016489 $0.022680 $0.006191 per kWh
Riders
RCE N/A $0.000081 $0.000081 per kWh
TCRF $0.004636 $0.000000 ($0.004636) per kWh
DCRF $0.000655 $0.000000 ($0.000655) per kWh
UEDIT N/A ($0.000592)($0.000592) per kWh
SECONDARY =<10 Kva (Small)
Current Proposed Change Billing Unit
Base Rates
Customer $1.61 $2.44 $0.83 per meter
Metering $4.41 $2.11 ($2.30) per meter
Transmission $0.004437 $0.009020 $0.004583 per kWh
Distribution $0.012218 $0.015510 $0.003292 per kWh
Rider
RCE N/A $0.000064 $0.000064 per kWh
TCRF $0.005007 $0.000000 ($0.005007) per kWh
DCRF $0.000812 $0.000000 ($0.000812) per kWh
UEDIT N/A ($0.000470)($0.000470) per kWh
SECONDARY >10 Kva (Large)
Current Proposed Change Billing Unit
Base Rates
Customer
NON-IDR $2.26 $3.22 $0.96 per meter
IDR $65.83 $48.28 ($17.55) per meter
Metering
NON-IDR $18.82 $6.90 ($11.92) per meter
IDR $63.07 $79.91 $16.84 per meter
Transmission
NON-IDR $1.4318 $2.7140 $1.28 per NCP Kva
IDR $2.2387 $4.0531 $1.81 per 4CP Kva
Distribution $3.059429 $4.835920 $1.77649 per Billing
Kva
Riders
RCE N/A $0.017407 $0.017407 per Billing
Kva
TCRF
NON-IDR $1.154194 $0.000000 ($1.154194) per NCP Kva
IDR $2.220816 $0.000000 ($2.220816) per 4CP Kva
DCRF $0.107617 $0.000000 ($0.107617) per Billing
Kva
UEDIT N/A ($0.127867)($0.127867) per Billing
Kva
PRIMARY
Current Proposed Change Billing Unit
Base Rates
Customer
NON-IDR $3.58 $4.83 $1.25 per meter
IDR $76.73 $61.26 ($15.47) per meter
Metering
NON-IDR $181.35 $285.55 $104.20 per meter
IDR $138.40 $198.72 $60.32 per meter
Transmission
NON-IDR $1.7033 $2.7359 $1.03 per NCP Kva
IDR $2.1546 $3.9405 $1.79 per 4CP Kva
Distribution $2.002820 $2.524110 $0.52 per Billing
Kva
Riders
RCE N/A $0.010037 $0.010037 per Billing
Kva
TCRF
NON-IDR $1.289805 $0.000000 ($1.289805) per NCP Kva
IDR $1.898137 $0.000000 ($1.898137) per 4CP Kva
DCRF $0.048612 $0.000000 ($0.048612) per Billing
Kva
UEDIT N/A ($0.073733) ($0.073733) per Billing
Kva
TRANSMISSION
Current Proposed Change Billing Unit
Base Rates
Customer $154.44 $222.94 $68.50 per meter
Metering $1,449.82 $1,456.82 $7.00 per meter
Transmission $2.1188 $4.7203 $2.60 per 4CP Kva
Distribution $0.463296 $0.593150 $0.13 per 4CP Kva
Riders
RCE N/A $0.010567 $0.010567 per 4CP Kva
TCRF $1.632335 $0.000000 ($1.632335) per 4CP Kva
DCRF $0.001865 $0.000000 ($0.001865) per 4CP Kva
UEDIT N/A ($0.077627)($0.077627) per 4CP Kva
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