DWP rate hikes back on the agenda
On Friday, just a few days after voters upheld a citywide telephone users tax, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power renewed a proposal to raise its water and electricity rates. Kerry Cavanaugh in the Daily News.
In early December, the City Council sent the rate proposal back to the DWP for two months so utility managers could provide assurances that the increase was needed and would be spent on infrastructure upgrades.
On Friday, the DWP Board of Water and Power Commissioners voted again to raise electric rates by 9 percent over three years and water rates by 6 percent over two years.
In response to City Council concerns, the DWP increased the average low-income customer discount from 15 percent to 20 percent and rearranged power infrastructure projects to replace the worst-performing equipment first.