CenterPoint Energy Settlement Would Increase DCRF Charges

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric (CEHE), Staff of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, certain cities with original jurisdiction and other parties have reached an unopposed settlement to establish new charges under CEHE’s Distribution Cost Recover Factor charged to retail electric providers, effective September 1, 2016

Although the new DCRF charges under the settlement are less than those originally sought by CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric (click here for originally proposed rates), they still represent a significant increase, on a percentage basis, from the current DCRF charges, though the amount of the increase in volumetric terms is less than a mill per kWh for mass market customers.

The settlement would institute the following DCRF charges:

Effective September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017*
Residential          $0.000795 per kWh
Secondary ≤10 kVA    $0.001061 per kWh
Secondary >10 kVA    $0.136574 per Billing kVA
Primary              $0.060299 per Billing kVA
Transmission         $0.002657 per 4CP kVA
Lighting             $0.011658 per kWh

*Note: Rates sought to be effective on
interim basis on 9/1/16 if final approval not 
provided before then

Effective September 1, 2017**
Residential          $0.000866 per kWh
Secondary ≤10 kVA    $0.001155 per kWh
Secondary >10 kVA    $0.148714 per Billing kVA
Primary              $0.065659 per Billing kVA
Transmission         $0.002893 per 4CP kVA
Lighting             $0.012694 per kWh

**Note: Subject to change if CEHE seeks
to update DCRFs prior to 9/1/17

For comparison, the CEHE’s current DCRF rates are:

Residential          $0.000241 per kWh
Secondary ≤10 kVA    $0.000319 per kWh
Secondary >10 kVA    $0.040087 per Billing kVA
Primary              $0.017653 per Billing kVA
Transmission         $0.000787 per 4CP kVA
Lighting             $0.003375 per kWh