At its February 12, 2021 meeting, Empire Electric Association’s Board of Directors voted to edit EEA’s Security Lighting and Overhead Street Lighting tariffs.  The Board also voted to eliminate the Lighting Adjustment Clause tariff.

The Lighting Adjustment Clause tariff applied to Overhead Street Lights.  It allowed rates to increase based on a Consumer Price Index (CPI) calculation.  The Board determined it would be more prudent to incorporate the adjustment language into the specific lighting tariffs and eliminate the separate Lighting Adjustment Clause.

The Security Lighting tariff applies to those customers who have unmetered security lights.  Edits to the Security Lighting tariff include the following:

1. Added an LED option.  Going forward, only LEDs will be available for new installations.

2. Updated wording for clarity and consistency with other tariffs.

3. Added a CPI adjustment clause.  This clause will allow security light rates to increase annually with CPI in the same way that street light rates have increased in the past.

4. Updated the base rates to align with current cost of service study as follows:

 

Security Lights	Current Rate	New Rate	Dollar Change
175-watt mercury vapor	$21.08	$18.28	($2.80)
100-watt high-pressure sodium	$15.35	$16.00	$0.65
250-watt high-pressure sodium	$30.10	$21.14	($8.96)
140-watt LED	N/A	$16.27	N/A

 

 The Overhead Street Lighting tariff applies to municipalities who have unmetered street lighting systems.  Edits to the Street Lighting tariff include the following:

1. Added an LED option.  Going forward, only LEDs will be available for new installations.

2. Updated wording for clarity and consistency with other tariffs.

3. Moved CPI adjustment language from the Lighting Adjustment Clause into this tariff.

4. Added language that clarifies who is responsible for installation costs.

5. Updated rates with the values that are currently in effect based on pervious CPI increases.

 

 These changes are scheduled to go into effect on May 1, 2021.  Anyone who desires to complain about the proposed changes shall file a written complaint with the EEA at least 10 days before the proposed effective date.  Such complaint may be mailed to P.O. Box K, Cortez, CO, 81321, or hand-delivered to EEA’s main office at 801 North Broadway in Cortez.

The Cooperative may hold a hearing to determine what changes will be authorized.  The changes ultimately authorized may or may not be the same as those proposed and may include changes different than those tariffs proposed or currently in effect.  Anyone who desires to receive notice of hearing, if any, shall make a written request therefore to EEA, at the above address, at least 10 days before the proposed effective date

For any questions about this notice and/or the proposed changes, please contact EEA at (970) 565-4444 or toll free at 1-800-709-3726.  Copies of all tariffs are available on EEA’s website at eea.coop/rates.  Copies of tariffs are also on file at EEA’s main office.  These are available for inspection during regular business hours.