Logo courtesy of the City of Biggs

BIGGS, CA (MPG) - Biggs electric customers will receive a $300 rebate on their June utility bills after the Biggs City Council approved the measure May 12 using greenhouse gas funds generated through the city’s municipal electric utility.

The 4-0 vote will provide approximately $231,300 in customer rebates across the city’s estimated 771 electric accounts.

City Administrator Nicolas Gauthier said the rebate uses money accumulated through California’s Cap-and-Invest program, which allows publicly owned utilities to receive greenhouse gas-related credits tied to energy production.

Gauthier said the funds are restricted to projects that reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency or lower customer utility costs and cannot be used for unrelated city expenses.

During the meeting, Gauthier told the council some of the credits were approaching an 11-year expiration deadline.

“I figured that money spent within the city is better than money being given back to the state of California,” Gauthier said.

The rebates will be issued as flat-rate credits because current California Air Resources Board guidelines require equal treatment for utility customers rather than rebates based on electricity usage, Gauthier said.

If a customer’s June bill is less than the rebate amount, the remaining balance will stay on the account as a non-cashable credit until fully used.

Vice Mayor Doug Arnold supported the largest rebate option during council discussion.

“I think our citizens need a break,” Arnold said.

The rebate approval was part of a broader discussion on how Biggs plans to use greenhouse gas funds tied to the electric utility.

The council also approved the purchase of a hybrid Toyota Camry using greenhouse gas funding for utility district travel and official city business. The vehicle purchase was capped at $36,900.

Gauthier said the hybrid vehicle would reduce fuel use and emissions while supporting utility operations tied to meetings, infrastructure planning and regional travel connected to the city-owned electric system.

In an unrelated discussion, the Biggs City Council also authorized moving forward with a request for proposals for Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI, systems for city water and electric meters.

Gauthier said many of the city’s meters are aging and some customers still do not have water meters installed. He said the AMI project would improve efficiency, customer access to usage information and long-term utility operations.