Safety, Reliability and Finances
Call before you dig
Call 811 to have underground electric lines and other utility lines marked before digging on your property. Please call 811 before any digging such as planting a tree, digging fencepost holes, trenching with a machine, or excavating with a backhoe.
Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3)
The City of Georgetown electric utility achieved diamond-level status in 2019 under the American Public Power Association’s Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) program. The designation recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement. Georgetown is one of six public power providers in Texas to receive the diamond designation. In total, only 254 of the more than 2,000 public power utilities nationwide hold the RP3 designation. Levels of recognition include gold, platinum, and diamond. Georgetown Utility Systems had been a platinum designee since 2016.
Electric fund
The electric utility ended the 2018-2019 fiscal year with reserves of more than $6 million, which is up from last year’s balance of less than $2 million. The goal of the electric utility is to meet its financial reserve requirements.
In addition to growing financial reserves, the City is working on identifying all the avenues to reduce costs. The City’s purchased power budget for FY 2020 is $59.5 million.
In FY 2019, the City worked to improve the finances of the electric utility to meet its financial reserve requirements. This included selling assets, increasing rates, decreasing expenses, and completing a management assessment. The City hired a new general manager for its electric utility in October 2019. Based on the management assessment, the City updated its energy risk management policy. Shell Energy North America was hired in December 2019 to be the City’s energy manager to assist in managing the energy portfolio and also to be the City’s Qualified Scheduling Entity (QSE).
For more information about the electric fund and power cost adjustments, visit our FAQ page.
