HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 23-023ORDINANCE NO.23-023
ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS SUSPENDING THE
RATES PROPOSED BY CENTERPOINT ENERGY RESOURCES CORP.,
d1b1a CENTERPOINT ENERGY ENTEX AND CENTERPOINT ENERGY
TEXAS GAS ("CENTERPOINT" OR "COMPANY") COMPANY'S GAS
RELIABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM ("GRIP") FILING MADE
WITH THE CITY ON MARCH 2, 2023; FINDING THAT THE MEETING
COMPLIES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT; MAKING OTHER
FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT, AND
DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
WHEREAS, on or about March 2, 2023, CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp.,
dlbla CenterPoint Energy Entex and CenterPoint Energy Texas Gas ("CenterPoint" or
"Company") filed an Annual GRIP adjustment for the Beaumont/East Texas Division with
the City of Beaumont ("City") to increase gas rates in the Beaumont/East Texas Division
Service Area pursuant to Gas Utility Regulatory Act, TEX. UTIL. CODE ("Gas Utility
Regulatory Act") § 104.301; and
WHEREAS, the Company proposed an effective date for the proposed increase
of May 1, 2023, unless the City suspends the date for a period no longer than forty-five
(45) days; and
WHEREAS, City has exclusive original jurisdiction over the rates, operations and
services of a gas utility in areas in the municipality pursuant to Gas Utility Regulatory Act
§ 103.001; and
WHEREAS, Gas Utility Regulatory Act § 104.301 requires a streamlined process
for the recovery of the costs of incremental investment by a gas utility; and
WHEREAS, the City's review of CenterPoint's GRIP filing is limited to a ministerial
review of the filing for compliance with the statute; and
WHEREAS, the City finds the need to suspend the effective date of CenterPoint's
proposed rate increase for 45 days beyond the Company's proposed effective date until
June 15, 2023 in order to review the Company's filing for compliance with Gas Utility
Regulatory Act § 104.301; and
WHEREAS, the reasonableness of the Company's investment will be reviewed in
CenterPoint's future base rate case where all costs included in CenterPoint's GRIP filing
will be subject to refund.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS, THAT:
Section 1. That the statement and findings set out in the preamble to this
ordinance are hereby in all things approved and adopted.
Section 2. The effective date of the Company's proposed GRIP rate increase,
and the proposed tariffs related thereto, is hereby suspended until June 15, 2023.
Section 3. To the extent the City finds that the rates proposed by CenterPoint's
filing comply with Gas Utility Regulatory Act § 104.301, then the rates will become
effective by operation of law on June 15, 2023.
Section 4. The meeting at which the ordinance was approved was in all things
conducted in strict compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government
Code, Chapter 551.
Section 5. This Ordinance shall become effective from and after its passage.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 141n day of March, 2023.
- Mayor Robin Mouton -
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