The McPherson Board of Public Utilities generated less power but brought in more revenue in 2008 than in 2007.
BPU generated 11,280,000 kilowatt hours (kwh) of electricity in 2008, which is 21,506,000 kwh less than the year prior. The utility’s sales figures were off 0.13 percent from 2007 as well.
The greatest decline in usage was among residential customers, who decreased power usage by 3 percent.
BPU’s industrial customers increased their power usage by about 0.4 percent, the only group to see a year-over-year increase.
The decrease in usage did not impact electricity rates substantially. The cost of a kwh increased less than $0.01 to $0.05 a kwh.
But because of fuel surcharges, implemented when gas was near $4 per-gallon, the utility brought in more than $1.9 million of revenue, a 6.04 percent increase over 2007 revenue figures.
The outcome was similar for BPU’s water distribution and revenue.
BPU sold 11.4 million fewer gallons in 2008 compared to 2007 but revenue increased by more than $204,000.
BPU general manager Rick Anderson said the current economic decline has not made a significant impact on the utility’s revenue and sales but the effects “are showing up.”
In other BPU news:
•Anderson discussed a testing issue with one of BPU’s water wells. A routine test of all of the wells revealed a substantial increase in fluoride. Anderson said the increase is likely due to an error in the test because the increase is so significant and none of the other wells tested had a similar increase. The city does not add fluoride to the water Anderson said.
BPU is now in the process of taking its own sample of the well’s water to have it analyzed by a private lab.
“I have every confidence that the fluoride levels are below the maximum contamination levels,” Anderson said.
•BPU assistant manager Tim Maier reported that the load tap changer at the Johns Manville substation was being removed and replaced by a new unit.
•Maier also reported that General Electric had made a visit to McPherson to align the generator at power plant #3. The generator has started to vibrate, which impacts operations of other parts of the plant. Maier said the alignment will resolve the situation temporarily but that the board needed to budget in funds for a more permanent solution in 2010.
•Construction continues at the new waste water treatment plant. Maier said concrete is currently being poured at the new location.
McPherson, Kan. —
