Clark Public Utilities commission approves budgets for electric, generating and water systems

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
December 2, 2020

The Clark Public Utilities commission on Dec. 1 voted to approve annual budgets for the electric, generating and water systems. Rate increases are not required to fund the approved electric and water utility budgets, the Washington State public power utility noted.

The 2021 operating revenue budget for the electric system is $384.8 million, compared to $382.5 million in 2020. As in years past, power supply remains the majority of the budget at $225 million — down from $230 million in the 2020 budget — and the operating and maintenance budget is $62 million.

The remainder is comprised of taxes, debt service, rate-funded capital and energy efficiency program funding, Clark Public Utilities noted in a news release.

The 2021 generating system operating revenue budget is $68.9 million, compared to the 2020 budget of $76.3 million.

Commissioners also approved a $21.6 million water system operating revenue budget for 2021, compared to $20.3 million in 2020.

Capital budgets for the electric, water and generating system all allocate funds for system maintenance and improvements.

For the electric and generating systems, projects planned for the combined $50.5 million capital investment include ongoing treatment and replacement of aging underground cable, substation, transmission and distribution line construction and upgrades.

The $10.9 million water system capital budget allocates funds for main extensions and upgrades and automatic meter reading equipment, among other improvements.

“This budget demonstrates our utility’s commitment to providing our customers with outstanding customer service and reliability while going to great lengths to control costs and be good stewards of our customers’ resources,” said Jane Van Dyke, president of the Clark Public Utilities Board of Commissioners.

Clark Public Utilities is a customer-owned public utility that provides electric service to more than 210,000 customers throughout Clark County, Wash. The utility also provides water service to about 37,000 homes and businesses.

Clark Public Utilities has been ranked highest in customer satisfaction among midsize utilities in the west by J.D. Power twelve years in a row.