The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) is considering a proposal that will raise the University’s energy costs 6 percent and cost the school approximately $130,000 more on its electricity bill each year.
EWEB’s proposal, which would take effect in November, would raise rates by an average of 5.4 percent for all electricity customers. The biggest blow would go to large business customers, like the University, with rate increases from 6.3 to 7.2 percent.
University utilities analyst Josh Ruddick, who works for Facilities Services, said electricity rates at
the University would increase about 6.4 percent.
Based on the past several years, the University uses between 44 million and 45 million kilowatt-hours per year, he said.
Ruddick said the University is
doing its best to keep energy
costs down.
“There are energy conservation measures in place that continue
to keep down energy consumption,” he said, citing new lighting and lighting controls as examples. The Lillis Business Complex is
a “green building,” taking advantage of conservation measures to reduce consumption.
The EWEB proposal would increase rates by 10.4 percent and eliminate a 5 percent surcharge
imposed in 2002, resulting in the average increase of 5.4 percent. The surcharge was instituted after the West Coast energy crisis in 2001, when EWEB lost a considerable amount of money.
EWEB imposed the charge in 2002 to pay back the $30 million it had to borrow to refill its reserves, Ruddick said.
The average residential customer uses 1050 kilowatt-hours a month, resulting in a more than $4 per month increase under the latest
proposal, EWEB spokesman
Lance Robertson said.
Robertson blamed the proposed rate increase on the drought
over the past five years, which has reduced energy generation at its four hydroelectric plants. This
reduced the amount of money EWEB was able to make from selling excess energy.
“This is the driest five-year period since 1929,” he said, adding that it has reduced EWEB’s revenue each year.

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