Clallam PUD rates lower than neighboring utilities, analyst says

CARLSBORG — Clallam County Public Utility District customers had the lowest average monthly electric bills on the North Olympic Peninsula in June, a staff analysis showed.

The PUD’s residential customers also paid less for power than most across the state and the nation in 2015, Power Analyst Tyler King told Clallam County PUD commissioners Tuesday.

“We’re actually doing fairly well compared to the neighboring utilities,” King told Commissioners Hugh Haffner and Ted Simpson.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The average residential Clallam County PUD electric bill — base charge plus 1,200 kilowatt hours of consumption — was $111.97 before tax in June, King said.

That includes a 3.8 percent electric rate increase that took effect April 1.

By comparison, average power bills were $117.26 in the city of Port Angeles, $120.31 in Mason County Public Utility District No. 3, $121.74 in Mason County PUD No. 1, $129.08 in the Jefferson County Public Utility District and $136.32 for Puget Sound Energy customers.

“This was taken from information based on the utilities’ websites,” King said.

“The takeaway from this is that we can inform our customers that our rates are still competitive, and that [of] the neighboring utilities, we are the lowest.”

King said the city of Port Angeles has a slightly higher electrical rate charge and slightly lower base rate than the PUD.

He added that the sale and temporary shutdown of the Nippon paper mill on Ediz Hook has reduced the city’s electric load by about half.

“That’s their largest customer,” King said.

Port Angeles City Manager Dan McKeen told the City Council later Tuesday that the mill represents “nearly half of the entire electric consumption in the city.”

“That’s a lot,” McKeen said. “It used to be over half.”

King provided PUD commissioners with a 2015 comparison of average monthly electric bills.

At $108.30 for 1,200 kilowatt hours, Clallam County PUD rates were lower in 2015 than the state ($109.08) and national ($151.80) averages.

The average monthly bill in Washington state, Oregon and California was $171.36.

The states with the highest average electric bills were Connecticut ($251.28 per month) and Hawaii ($355.20), according to King’s analysis.

________

Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.

More in News

Supreme Court says no to recall reconsider

Sequim man found liable for legal fees

Chimacum Ridge seeks board members

Members to write policy, balance values, chair says

Fire destroys shop east of Port Angeles

A fire on Hickory Street east of Port Angeles… Continue reading

Jefferson Transit Authority to expand Kingston Express route

Jefferson Transit Authority has announced expanded service on its… Continue reading

From left to right, Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding students Krystol Pasecznyk and Scott McNair sand a Prothero Sloop with Sean Koomen, the school’s boat building program director. Koomen said the sanding would take one person a few days. He said the plan is to have 12 people sand it together, which will take a few hours. (Elijah Sussman/Peninsula Daily News)
Wooden boatbuilding school building ‘Twin Boats’

Students using traditional and cold-moulding construction techniques

Prevailing wage by trade across multiple counties in Washington state.
Prevailing wages are driving up housing

Administrative burden may decrease competition

North Olympic Library System
Rendering of the new Sequim Library, which is currently under construction.
Library system board recognizes top donors

Naming opportunities still available

Port of Port Angeles approves roof rehab projects

McKinley Paper Company moves out of Marine Drive warehouse

Drug takeback day set across Peninsula on Saturday

Law enforcement agencies across the North Olympic Peninsula are poised to take… Continue reading

Public meeting set to meet administrator candidates

Jefferson County will host a public meeting at 5… Continue reading

Interfund loan to pay for Port Townsend meter replacement

City will repay over four years; work likely this winter

Artists to create murals for festival

Five pieces of art to be commissioned for downtown Port Angeles