Special to El Rrun-Rrun
What happened to the $500 million Tenaska gas-fired, electric plant?
You know, the one that was supposed to be funded by the $325 million raised by an increase in utility rates starting in 2013 and ending at the end of 2016 to pass bonds for its construction.
Well, the end of 2016 came and went, the 2017 projected completion date passed and still there was no plant, but the high rates have never came down.
Tenaska was going to raise the other $175 million and divvy up the 800 MWs in electricity with 200 MWs to the city and then other 600 MWs for the company to sell on the open market. That's right. PUB ratepayers would pay 65 percent of the cost and get 25 percent of the electricity.
This is what PUB CEO John Bruciak told the city commission on December 2012 when he was pushing for this disastrous public-private "partnership."
"The multi-year rate plan will support growth (and)...the bond issue will take care of our future needs (for the next five years out into October 2016)....The rate increases will take care of our future needs and provide low-energy costs to the residents of Brownsville."
“We looked at a lot of things. We did an integrated resource plan on the power supply that looked at everything in the state that was available. This hands down was the most economical and efficient for our residents.” Brownsville Public Utility Board CEO John Bruciak at a joint meeting of the commission on and PUB board Dec. 11, 2012.
Based on the advice of this sage utility guru, the city commission then adopted upwards rate hikes that saw city residents pay a 36 percent increase in electric rates over the next four years, a 20 percent increase in water rates over the same period, and a 6 percent hike in waste water costs over two years.
You know, the one that was supposed to be funded by the $325 million raised by an increase in utility rates starting in 2013 and ending at the end of 2016 to pass bonds for its construction.Well, the end of 2016 came and went, the 2017 projected completion date passed and still there was no plant, but the high rates have never came down.
Tenaska was going to raise the other $175 million and divvy up the 800 MWs in electricity with 200 MWs to the city and then other 600 MWs for the company to sell on the open market. That's right. PUB ratepayers would pay 65 percent of the cost and get 25 percent of the electricity.
This is what PUB CEO John Bruciak told the city commission on December 2012 when he was pushing for this disastrous public-private "partnership."
"The multi-year rate plan will support growth (and)...the bond issue will take care of our future needs (for the next five years out into October 2016)....The rate increases will take care of our future needs and provide low-energy costs to the residents of Brownsville."
“We looked at a lot of things. We did an integrated resource plan on the power supply that looked at everything in the state that was available. This hands down was the most economical and efficient for our residents.” Brownsville Public Utility Board CEO John Bruciak at a joint meeting of the commission on and PUB board Dec. 11, 2012.
Based on the advice of this sage utility guru, the city commission then adopted upwards rate hikes that saw city residents pay a 36 percent increase in electric rates over the next four years, a 20 percent increase in water rates over the same period, and a 6 percent hike in waste water costs over two years.
But what Bruciak and his PUB cadre did not tell the residents or the city commission is that Tenaska had stopped the project in 2017 and it wasn't until three years later – August 2020 – that they came clean with the city commission.
So far, no one has been fired for this multi-million "miscalculation.," and no heads have rolled. The list of elected and appointed officials who had a hand in the debacle ranged from current Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño who was the PUB counsel when the Memorandum Of Understanding was written, former Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez, the ex oficio member of the PUB Board, and Nurith Galonsky, who was on the board before she was a city commissioner.
Everyone, once the plan was abandoned and the artificially high utility rates continue, sought to distance themselves from the gas-fired electric plant. And still no answers or consequences for their incompetence and their folly.
The road to this PUB utility hell have been paved with good intentions. But that's not going to help you pay for the high electric bills, is it?
11 comments:
Fire me, but leave me as a consultant at 500k a year for 10 years. Shit its only tax money and give my wife a raise of 15% for the next 10 years also.
So where are the haties comment..
?
Galonsky Trey? What do y’all have to say? Nada!
There is a generator a bridge, a whore house miles and miles of unused bike trails you want more pendejo?
Why doesn't the Brownsville commission simply dispand PUB? A simple motion should do it. BEN? BEN?
this person makes millions (LEGALLY) I think, and he's free unlike esa tonta de BISD. Where's the FBI? They go after meskin ONLY! BUST A GRINGO ONCE IN A CENTURY.
Juan THNAK YOIU for keeping this in the news front and center. Citizens should file a complaint with the Texas PUC commission in Austin to look into this massive fraud and those involved to be charged and persecuted to the fullest extent of the LAW beginning with Mr. Bruicak el CEO, ex mayor el blue jeans Martinez, county judge trevino, all members of the previous and present PUB Board. Hope i am not ruffling too may feathers. lol
Saludos desde la luna aqui no hay luz o electrcidad manden a ese guey para aca que ponga una planta de luz... Habla un chino desde la Luna saludos a todos los hispanos
PUB does not fall under the asspuesnata de Texas PUC Commission... so they say because its a private entity or something like that, a city commission vote will put them under the TPUCC but hay corte aqui. luz taxas y otras cosas gratis
Billy? who the shit is billy? Why not Jose or Pedro or panfilo.
WHERE'S THE FBI CIA NBC LGBT?
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