Item Coversheet

City of Georgetown, Texas
City Council Regular Meeting
September 10, 2019

SUBJECT:

Consideration and possible action to approve a Resolution approving a negotiated settlement between the Atmos Cities Steering Committee (ACSC) and Atmos Energy Group -- Jackson Daly, Assistant to the City Manager and David Morgan, City Manager

ITEM SUMMARY:

The City, along with 171 other Mid-Texas cities served by Atmos Energy Corporation, Mid-Tex Division (“Atmos Mid-Tex” or “Company”), is a member of the Atmos Cities Steering Committee (“ACSC”). In 2007, ACSC and Atmos Mid-Tex settled a rate application filed by the Company pursuant to Section 104.301 of the Texas Utilities Code for an interim rate adjustment commonly referred to as a GRIP filing (arising out of the Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program legislation). That settlement created a substitute rate review process, referred to as Rate Review Mechanism (“RRM”), as a substitute for future filings under the GRIP statute.

Since 2007, there have been several modifications to the original RRM Tariff. The most recent iteration of an RRM Tariff was reflected in an ordinance adopted by ACSC members in 2018. On or about April 1, 2019, the Company filed a rate request pursuant to the RRM Tariff adopted by ACSC members. The Company claimed that its cost-of-service in a test year ending December 31, 2018, entitled it to additional system-wide revenues of $70 million. Application of the standards set forth in ACSC’s RRM Tariff required Atmos to reduce its request to $54 million, $39.3 million of which would be applicable to ACSC members. ACSC’s consultants concluded that the system-wide deficiency under the RRM regime should be $38.7 million instead of the claimed $54 million. The amount of the $38.7 million deficiency applicable to ACSC members would be $28.2 million.

After the Company reviewed ACSC’s consultants’ report, ACSC’s Executive Committee and the Company negotiated a settlement whereby the Company would receive an increase of $35.4 million from ACSC Cities.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:

After review, Staff finds the rates to be set by the attached settlement tariffs to be just and reasonable and in the public interest and therefore recommends approval of the rates stated in the settlement.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

The impact of the settlement on average residential rates is an increase of $2.05 on a monthly basis, or 3.7 percent. The increase for average commercial usage will be $6.18 or 2.31 percent.

SUBMITTED BY:
Jackson Daly - Assistant to the City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
ATMOS - Resolution
ACSC - Background and Summary
Attachments to Background and Summary Report