CMUA Member Perspective: Balancing Affordability with Innovation
-- Nicolas Procos, general manager of Alameda Municipal Power
I’ve been the general manager at Alameda Municipal Power for four years. In that relatively short period of time, I’ve seen a lot of change.
We’ve been focusing on technology and increasing our branding and partnership with our community. People are inundated with everything these days. We want to be a trusted partner and help them make decisions that are right for them. Since electrification is such a big focus for us, we are rolling out new programs for our customers and getting out there to help them understand the pros and cons.
As a smaller utility, we do not have the resources of a large utility and must be both creative and nimble—words you do not hear often in the utility space. Amid these new focus areas, it is important to ensure we remain competitive and affordable. Affordability is becoming increasingly challenging.
Sometimes we lose sight that a 2% to 3% or greater rate increase may not seem like a lot, but customers are experiencing what I call “death by a thousand cuts,” with costs rising everywhere. It all adds up.
We are proud at Alameda for achieving 100% carbon-free energy while keeping rates flat, with two consecutive years of no rate increases for our customers."
(Reprinted from the summer 2021 issue of CMUA's magazine, California Water & Power)
We’ve been focusing on technology and increasing our branding and partnership with our community. People are inundated with everything these days. We want to be a trusted partner and help them make decisions that are right for them. Since electrification is such a big focus for us, we are rolling out new programs for our customers and getting out there to help them understand the pros and cons.
As a smaller utility, we do not have the resources of a large utility and must be both creative and nimble—words you do not hear often in the utility space. Amid these new focus areas, it is important to ensure we remain competitive and affordable. Affordability is becoming increasingly challenging.
Sometimes we lose sight that a 2% to 3% or greater rate increase may not seem like a lot, but customers are experiencing what I call “death by a thousand cuts,” with costs rising everywhere. It all adds up.
We are proud at Alameda for achieving 100% carbon-free energy while keeping rates flat, with two consecutive years of no rate increases for our customers."
(Reprinted from the summer 2021 issue of CMUA's magazine, California Water & Power)