City Hopes Electric Program Yields Windfalls That Gas Did

The La Grange City Council voted unanimously two create a cooperative power purchasing program that will serve municipal electric utilities in Texas.

The new program will mirror La Grange’s municipal cooperative gas purchasing program. The City established the gas program about 25 years ago.

To launch the new electric program, Council authorized the creation of two corporations: Municipal Power Aquisition and Supply Corporation (known as MuniWatt) and Texas Municipal Power Aquisition and Supply Corporation I (known as TexPwr I). Those corporations will purchase electrical power on the wholesale market and resell it to other cities in Texas

Raborn said the City may not see any revenue from the electric program for at least a year. Revenues from the gas program generated an estimated $1.3 million in revenue for the City this year. Raborn said he didn’t know yet how much revenue the electrical program would generate.

“It will take some time to develop the market,” Raborn said. the gas program to fund capital improvements.

“Years ago I called it ‘manna’ because it has been a blessing for this community,” Raborn said.

The capital improvement fund currently stands at $7.3 million, with the bulk of that money coming from the cooperative gas purchasing program. The City plans to spend over $2 million from that fund in next year’s budget, including $500,000 for streets and drainage and $400,000 to park improvements.

Council also appointed board members to the two new corporations. The board members for TexPwr I will be Mary Voss-president, Glen Pape-vice president and asst. secretary, Violet Zbranek-secretary and Diana Stevens-asst. vice president and asst. secretary. Board members for MuniWatt will be Glen Pape-president, Janet Moerbe-vice president and asst. secretary, Janetta Morrissecretary and Violet Zbranekasst. vice president and asst. Secretary.