RATE SETTING DONE THE RIGHT WAY North Alabama Public Power Association Terry Mitchell | Jackson Thornton

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REGULATION OF PUBLIC POWER UTILITIES MUNIS COOPERATIVES 3

4 MUNIS BOARDS ARE EITHER ELECTED OR APPROVED BY ELECTED OFFICIALS

5 COOPERATIVES BOARDS ARE ELECTED ON ROTATING TERMS USUALLY BY DISTRICT

6 GOOD OR BAD? POLITICS COME INTO PLAY WHEN SETTING RATES

BOARDS SERVE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS 7 BOARD City Government Lenders Regulatory Agencies Community Employees Utility Customer

8 BOARD MEMBERS SERVE A FIDUCIARY ROLE MUST SERVE THE ROLE OF MANAGING RATES FOR CUSTOMERS MUST SERVE THE ROLE OF KEEPING UTILITY FINANCIALLY SELF-SUSTAINABLE

Customer Needs Financial Needs for Utility BOARD’S ROLE IN RATE SETTING 9

10 Mission Statement “Our Utility’s mission is to provide the safest, most reliable and dependable source of energy to our customers at the lowest cost”

Customer Needs Financial Needs for Utility BOARD’S ROLE IN RATE SETTING 11

12 Financial needs of the Utility must be driven by financial policies and goals

Annual Revenue Requirements O & M (Budget) Power Cost (Financial/Power Requirements Forecast) Debt Service (Loan Covenants) Pilot/Capital Credits (Defined) CIP (Work Plan) **At Least Annual Depreciation Must develop financial goals and policies 13

Financial Policies and Goals Set guidelines that help determine revenue needs to make Utility financially self- sustainable (Take emotions out of Process) Provide Board and management with boundaries on important issues 14

Cont’d Helps to minimize politics on setting rates Reflects financial stability to lenders/bond holders Increase credit value Strengthens role as a valuable asset to your city/community 15

Financial Policies to Consider Rate Policies Financial Planning Policies – Debt/Margin Policies – Capital Funding Policies – Reserve Funding Policies Financial Forecasting 16

Rate Policies Are rates set based on costs-to-serve? Do you have plans for annual inflationary increases? – Try to avoid “Rate Shock” Time-sensitive rates Economic development rates Line extension policy 17

Financial Planning Policies Budgeting Policies Debt Coverage Requirements Margin/Equity Requirements Capital Project Funding Reserve Requirements Financial Forecasting – Rate Stability 18

Use annual flow of funds to help guide financial policies 19

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Why financial goals and policies are required/important Rate Agency Guidelines Very strong DSC (Avg. 5 yrs 5.2 times) Strong cash position History of taking rate action to meet financial needs 21

Steps To Take Meet with Board to assist in understanding and setting financial goals and policies Set periodic dates to examine goals and policies to determine their effectiveness Review your flow of funds statement to see if the financial goals and policies are meeting the financial needs of your Utility 22

Financial goals and policies can: Provide guides to set the financial needs (Annual Revenue Requirements) of your Utility Minimize the impact of politics on rates Make your Utility financially self-sustainable – *Increase credit value Note: Most important to memorialize the financial goals and policies 23

QUESTIONS ??? W. Terry Mitchell, Principal Jackson Thornton Utilities Consultants Montgomery, Alabama

ANSWERSKEYWORD a. Cash flow from investing b. Cash flow from normal operations c. Cash flow from asset sales d. Cash flow from financing Text a KEYWORD to or Submit responses at PollEv.com Which is not a major component of the annual cash flow statement?

ANSWERSKEYWORD a. When you build a new substation b. After an election c. Annually with inflation d. When financial policies are going to be violated Text a KEYWORD to or Submit responses at PollEv.com How often should rates be adjusted?