Rochester Public Utilities | Blog

Archive for July, 2015

Customer survey results provide valuable information for RPU strategic planning

Wednesday, July 29th, 2015

The Rochester Public Utility Board was presented with the customer survey results at the July Board Meeting by representatives from GreatBlue Research.

The purpose of the survey was to identify customer views on a wide range of topics including RPU’s environmental stewardship efforts, renewable energy, future technologies, smart grid metering, communication, office hours, and overall customer satisfaction.

Highlights of the survey include:

 

  • 87.8% of residential customers “agreed” that RPU is an environmentally responsible company. 88.2% of commercial customers “agreed” that RPU is an environmentally responsible company.

 

  • 59.2% of residents and 49.5% of commercial customers reported RPU should be “aggressive” in setting goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

  • 29.0% of residents would be willing to pay 10% more to increase efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and another 25.6% would be willing to pay 5% more.

 

  • 83.7% of residents and 70.8% of commercial customers support RPU investigating the process of installing and maintaining solar power in homes/businesses.

 

  • 81.6% of residents support RPU offering smart grid digital meters (only 59.7% of businesses supported)

 

  • Overall, respondents were happy with office hours – only 17.9% of residents said it would be helpful to have longer office hours and 12.1% of businesses said it would be helpful to have longer office hours.

 

  • Regarding communication, 41.8% of residents and 41.6% of business reported the “internet” was a preferred source of information.

 

Customer satisfaction continues to be strong with 95.7% of respondents reporting to be “satisfied” with RPU representative interactions.

“The information also reinforces that we are doing a lot of the right things necessary to set the standard for service and to continue as a customer-focused organization. This survey information will provide staff and the RPU Utility Board with valuable insight from customers for future strategic planning, budgeting, and allocating of resources to make improvements in how we serve our customers in the future,” said RPU General Manager Mark Kotschevar.

 

The complete survey presentation is available to view on the RPU website, http://www.rpu.org/documents/2015_customer_survey_data.pdf.

 

About Rochester Public Utilities

 

As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 50,000 customers.  Water customers number more than 37,000.  RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize the best value from the services they receive.  Current initiatives include fuel cell research, wind power, and photovoltaic offerings

 

 

 

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2015 Update to RPU Infrastructure Plan presented and placed on file

Wednesday, July 1st, 2015

The Rochester Public Utility Board accepted and placed on file a 2015 Update of the RPU Infrastructure Plan that serves as the model for investments and strategies related to the supply of power and energy to the city of Rochester. In a presentation by Mike Borgstadt, Manager of Resource Planning for Burns & McDonnell, an engineering firm from Kansas City Missouri, the Board was presented several options to meet the current demand and future growth within the City of Rochester through 2035.

 

Highlights from the presentation include;

  • Elimination of coal from the RPU portfolio by 2030
  • Meeting all renewable, solar and conservation standards
  • Flexibility to accommodate increases or decreases in growth related to DMC and conservation efforts
  • Retirement of older inefficient resources and replacement with high efficient, low emission units
  • Positions RPU for the end of a Power Supply Contract that terminates in 2030
  • Expands partnership opportunities for combined heat and power projects
  • Reduces CO2 emission in accordance with the Clean Power Plan

 

The plan update was driven by increased coal plant retirements in the region, environmental stewardship and changes in the Midcontinent Independent System Operation distribution market, in which RPU is a member.

The options considered in the study included renewables and conservation, bi-lateral market purchases and natural gas-fired units.

“As part of RPU’s environmental stewardship core value, RPU is laying out this comprehensive update to the infrastructure plan in order to solidify our commitment to being proactive and fiscally responsible with planning for future electric generation,” said Jerry Williams, RPU Board President.

RPU staff recommended a preferred scenario that meets Rochester’s growth and does so economically, reliably and is environmentally responsible.

The infrastructure plan and the update are available to view on the RPU website, www.rpu.org.

 

About Rochester Public Utilities

 

As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 50,000 customers.  Water customers number more than 37,000.  RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize the best value from the services they receive.  Current initiatives include fuel cell research, wind power, and photovoltaic offerings

 

 

 

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