HomeMy WebLinkAboutPO 7136: SUSPENDING THE RATES PROPOSED BY CENTERPOINT ENERGY SESOURCES CORP., DBA CENTERPOINT ENERGY ENTEX... P. O. No. 7136
03/15/2023 gt
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS
SUSPENDING THE RATES PROPOSED BY CENTERPOINT
ENERGY RESOURCES CORP., D/B/A CENTERPOINT ENERGY
ENTEX AND CENTERPOINT ENERGY TEXAS GAS
("CENTERPOINT" OR "COMPANY") COMPANY'S GAS
RELIABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM ("GRIP")
FILING MADE WITH THE CITY ON MARCH 2, 2023; FINDING
THAT THE MEETING COMPLIES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS
ACT; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS
RELATED TO THE SUBJECT, AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE
DATE
WHEREAS, on or about March 2, 2023, CenterPoint Energy Resources
Corp., d/b/a CenterPoint Energy Entex and CenterPoint Energy Texas Gas
("CenterPoint" or "Company") filed an Annual GRIP adjustment for the
Beaumont/East Texas Division with the City of Port Arthur ("City") to increase gas
rates in the Beaumont/East Texas Division Service Area pursuant to Gas Utility
Regulatory Act, TEX. UTIL. CODE ("Gas Utility Regulatory Act") § 104.301; and
WHEREAS, the Company proposed an effective date for the proposed
increase of May 1, 2023, unless the City suspends the date for a period no longer
than forty-five (45) days; and
WHEREAS, City has exclusive original jurisdiction over the rates,
operations and services of a gas utility in areas in the municipality pursuant to Gas
Utility Regulatory Act § 103.001; and
WHEREAS, Gas Utility Regulatory Act § 104.301 requires a streamlined
process for the recovery of the costs of incremental investment by a gas utility;
and
WHEREAS, the City's review of CenterPoint's GRIP filing is limited to a
ministerial review of the filing for compliance with the statute; and
WHEREAS, the City finds the need to suspend the effective date of
CenterPoint's proposed rate increase for 45 days beyond the Company's proposed
effective date until June 15, 2023 in order to review the Company's filing for
compliance with Gas Utility Regulatory Act § 104.301; and
WHEREAS, the reasonableness of the Company's investment will be
reviewed in CenterPoint's future base rate case where all costs included in
CenterPoint's GRIP filing will be subject to refund.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS:
Section 1. That the statement and findings set out in the preamble to
this ordinance are hereby in all things approved and adopted.
Section 2. That the effective date of the Company's proposed GRIP rate
increase, and the proposed tariffs related thereto, is hereby suspended until June
15, 2023.
Section 3. That to the extent the City finds that the rates proposed by
CenterPoint's filing comply with Gas Utility Regulatory Act § 104.301, then the
rates will become effective by operation of law on June 15, 2023.
Section 4. That the meeting at which the ordinance was approved was
in all things conducted in strict compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act,
Texas Government Code, Chapter 551.
Section 5. That this Ordinance shall become effective from and after its
passage.
READ, ADOPTED AND APPROVED on this day of March A.D.,
2023, at a Meeting of the City Council of the City of Port Arthur, by the following
vote: AYES:
Mayor:
Councilmembers:
NOES:
Thurman Bill Bartle, Mayor
ATTEST:
Sherri Bellard, City Secretary
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Valecia Tizeno, C Attorney
APPROVED FOR ADMINISTRATION:
Ronald Burton, City Manager