Westminster can expect no 2022 power rate hike

Westminster and other municipal members of the Joint Regional Sewer Authority are bracing for an upcharge in what they pay to treat their wastewater.  Oconee’s third largest city, however, apparently need not worry about a power rate increase from its wholesale supplier in the New Year.  Commenting in advance of today’s “PMPA” board meeting at Greer, Westminster’s Kevin Bronson says his reading of the new operating budget is that no rate increased is proposed.  PMPA is the consortium of municipalities that derive their electric power supply through ownership of part of a Duke Energy Catawba nuclear reactor.  Board members, such as the Westminster city administrator, have received information to indicate that Catawba’s costs of generating power are expected to decrease in 2022 by $4 million.  They are told the following: “The decrease is driven by reductions in maintenance of reactor and miscellaneous plant equipment expenses, as well as only one refueling outage in 2022, compared to two in 2021.”