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DWP board ignores L.A. City Council, approves higher rate hike

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Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s appointees at the Department of Water and Power on Wednesday evening rejected the City Council’s proposal for a 4.5% electric rate hike, opting for a larger increase that was more in line with the amount Villaraigosa had sought for his renewable energy proposal.

After taking a 45-minute break, the DWP board voted unanimously for an increase of 0.7 cents per kilowatt hour, which would translate into a 5.7% rate hike for residents and businesses, according to a high-level utility executive.

The City Council was planning its own 8:45 p.m. meeting to respond to the DWP’s decision.

Councilwoman Jan Perry warned the DWP board that she was willing to reject a larger increase. She accused Raman Raj, the DWP’s acting general manager, of setting in motion “an Armageddon scenario” by threatening to withhold $73 million from the city’s struggling budget.

“I’d be more than comfortable voting no on the entire package,” Perry said. “My environmental credentials are fine, so I’m not worried about it.”

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