Editor’s note: This online article corrects a misquote that appeared in the fourth paragraph of the Friday, Aug. 22, print edtition of the Catalina Islander. The article now correctly represents what Norris Bishton said.
blic Utilities Commission has placed a hold on a decision in Southern California Edison’s request to increase water rates for Catalina customers.
Editor’s note: This online article corrects a misquote that appeared in the fourth paragraph of the Friday, Aug. 22, print edtition of the Catalina Islander. The article now correctly represents what Norris Bishton said.
blic Utilities Commission has placed a hold on a decision in Southern California Edison’s request to increase water rates for Catalina customers.
Commissioner Catherine Sandoval was not pleased with the proposed settlement that would have had Edison’s mainland electricity customers help pay the cost of water consumed on Catalina Island, according to attorney Norris Bishton, who represents opponents of the original rate increase.
He said that Sandoval is preparing an alternative proposal.
Bishton said he was fairly confident that Commissioner Sandoval did not have the votes she would need to have her alternative proposal approved.
According Wayne Griffin, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, there will be a 30-day period for public comment on the Sandoval proposal that would delay any action on the case for at least two months.
Griffin expressed disappointment.
“This case has been going on for four years,” Griffin said.
All the parties to the case had agreed on a settlement.
Those parties included the Catalina Island Consortium, the Office of Ratepayer Advocates (which is part of the Public Utilities Commission) and The Utility Reform Network, as well as Edison.
According to Griffing, Edison had originally asked for an 85 percent increase in water rates on the Island. The settlement, if approved, would result in a 7.5 percent increase.
“This was accomplished by all parties agreeing to a one-time transfer of some costs to SCE’s 5.3 million electric customers – a charge of 11 cents per month for 12 months,” Griffin said. “ALL parties agreed that while unusual, this was the only viable alternative to drastically increasing Island water rates, already the highest in the state.”
Edison serves more than 14 million electricity customers, according to the company website.
Avalon’s population is about 4,000.
Bishtn said an administrative law judge had approved the settlement in July.
Griffin said all parties to the case went to San Francisco last week to ask the utility commissioners to approve the settlement at their August meeting. Representatives of all the involved groups met with representatives of the commissioners.
Bishton said that four of the commissioners approved.
But according to Bishton, Commissioner Sandoval did not approve as a matter of principal with transferring part of Catalina’s water costs to Edison’s electricity customers.
Bishton said that while four commissioners had indicated
“We haven’t seen the Alternate Opinion yet, so we cannot comment on it,” Griffin said. “But, it is very disappointing that Commissioner Sandoval chose this course of action instead of simply voting ‘no’ on the settlement. All parties to the rate case would like to see it settled and move on.”
