News & Media

Didn’t TID comply with the environmental laws and regulations before February 1, 2012?

November 27, 2023

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Yes, TID has always complied with environmental laws. However, the legislation passed since 2006 has required a substantial investment in renewable generation. The major investment was the Tuolumne Wind Project (TWP) purchased in mid-2009. The cost for the project has never been included in the primary energy charge seen on the bills. Instead, TID has been collecting the cost for operations and interest on loans through the Power Supply Adjustment (PSA) CHARGE(link to Power Supply Adjustment under Power Rates and Rules), as was appropriate until TID conducted a rate hearing on the increase costs (which happened in 2011).

In 2011, when TID held public meetings about a pending rate increase, customers strongly urged TID to have a separate line item showing the costs associated with the TWP and other environmental regulations as they might arise. TID studied this issue and proposed to remove the cost of the TWP out of the PSA and add an Environmental Charge line item. The Board held a public hearing on the topic on November 22, 2011 and ultimately approved the proposal on December 6, 2011 to be effective February 1, 2012.