The El Paso City Council approved a measure on July 20 aimed at helping the city government respond more quickly when electric and gas companies seek approval for projects, new facilities, or rate hikes that could raise monthly costs for homes and businesses.
What happened?
KTSM reported the measure will allow the City Attorney’s Office to get involved sooner in utility matters when companies seek regulatory sign-off on any changes that may affect customer bills.
The City said earlier involvement is meant to shield residents and businesses from “unnecessary utility costs” by allowing El Paso, Texas, to take part before final decisions are made, per KTSM.
But customer bills can be affected even when a utility is not simply requesting a direct rate hike. Companies may also ask regulators to let them recover major infrastructure spending or move forward with new facilities, and those costs can later be reflected in what customers pay…