THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

WPCNR MEDIA-GO ROUND. By John F. Bailey. May 6, 2014:

Steve Hochman, as part of his statement on behalf of the Budget and Management Committee  commenting on the city budget at the Monday evening public hearing on the budget, spent half the statement  delivering  a homily on the future of White Plains Cable Television.

He said the Budget and Management Committee , based on  a survey of three other municipally operated Cable TV stations in Westchester County, and a detailed review of White Plains Cable Finances and a tour of the New Castle Community Media Center in the Chappaqua Library…recommends installing stationary cameras, lighting (LED) and a control panel in Common Council Chambers (and presumably the Mayor’s conference room where the real action takes place, but that was not clear) to save money.

The Committee urges moving the studio to the White Plains Library, which would save  $60,000 (space rental, utility and facility repair costs) out of WPCTV’s $680,000 budget (part of the $176.1 Million proposed city budget.The Committee feels a studio in the library “would raise the profile of WPCTV. Given the heavy foot traffic and central location (with parking—editor’s note :paid parking) of the library, more residents and community groups are bound to access Cable TV facilities and their offerings.”

The library location, Hochman’s statement said, would encourage “synergies, broadcasting additional public content and disseminating Library book talks, children’s story times, teen workshops, concerts, classes, lectures.”

The Budget and Management Committee envisions the new proposed library location  would “encourage partnership with (and funding from) community groups such as area colleges, the White Plains City School District, and not-for-profits. There would also be more space in the Library to offer affordable summer and holiday camp programs in conjunction with the City’s Recreation and Parks Department or Youth Bureau.

The funding of the move is envisioned coming from Cable company grants. (Editor’s note:   Cablevision the city’s largest cable provider (with approximately 15,000 subscriber’s about 6,000 less than they had before Verizon FIOS came in to the city)  has paid no capital grants to the television station  for the last 8 years because the city has not negotiated a new contract with Cablevision yet. Cablevision franchise fees are being paid at the former contract payment levels.)

The Committee recommends the city employing a consultant to help design the studio with technology improvements installing equipment “appropriate for filming in a new studio in the White Plains Library and in the Council Chambers with an emphasis on digital formats, reliability, operational cost effectiveness and user flexibilty.”

It also recommends the television station should be under the control of a city department (“a direct reporting line be established between Cable TV and a City Department”)  They suggest either the Office of the Mayor, the White Plains Public Library or Department of Recreation and Parks.

The Committee believes cable management should “focus on developing and expanding the scope of activities for the wider community, while enhancing potential new revenue sources for Cable TV operations.”

Finally, the Committee proposes city budgeted funding of WPCTV instead of the present split between the city and the Cable TV commission which the city has taken more of in recent budgets. The Committee advises that the budget would be supplemented by the Grants and PEG funding.

They urge the city to complete the legal research to determine “an appropriate structure” for the Cable TV Access Commission; prepare a consultant agreement, and confer with the Library Board of Trustees and Cable TV Access Commission to operate Cable TV in the Library.”

No other member of the public showed up to comment on  the budget.

WPCNR THE POWER NEWS. May 6, 2014:

The Con Edison electric bill was a pleasant surprise yesterday for most White Plains residents. The cost per kilowatt hour charged by Con Edison for electricity declined to 5.7 cents in April.

Previously the kilowatt hour charges the last 5 months were 8.1 cents in December, 19.1 cents in January, 10.1 cents in February, and 10.3 cents in March, down this month to 5.7 Cents!

Con Edison media spokesperson, Bob McGee told WPCNR the refreshing plunge was due decline in demand for electricity. He referred me to the New York State Independent Systems Operator for an explanation for the drop.

McGee noted that the Westchester residential customer in March  paid typically $59.11 for their electricity in March, and in April, $38,01, a decline of 35.7% in one month.

Ken Klapp, spokesperson for the NYISO issued a statement noting that a record increase in the demand for power in January accounted for higher prices for natural gas that is relied on heavily.

Here is Mr. Klapp’s statement on the volatility of wholesale prices which translated into the record rates in January:

“During extreme cold weather the higher demand for gas from both retail customers and power plants can drive up the market price.  The increased demand for gas, particularly in the Northeast, can also lead to constraints on the gas pipeline system, which also will increase the price and can reduce the availability of natural gas for generation plants.

A new record winter peak was set on January 7 (25,738 megawatts), eclipsing a record set in December 2004.

Month-long electricity use also set a record this January, reaching a total of 14,719 gigawatt-hours, the highest January total in the 15-year history of the NYISO.

In addition to fuel costs, the demand for electricity is another important factor in power costs, because the NYISO dispatches the least-costly power available and has to call on higher-cost generation as demand increases.

The NY price for natural gas in March was $7.84/MMBtu, down 33% from $11.64/MMBtu in February and the wholesale price for electricity through the NYISO energy markets was $109.57/MWh, lower than the $123.16/MWh price in February  

Wholesale Electric Prices

The primary driver of wholesale electricity prices is the cost of natural gas.  Since NY relies heavily on natural gas as a fuel to generate electricity, wholesale electric prices are very sensitive to the price of natural gas. Natural gas prices have been up over the past year.

This increase in the market cost of natural gas in the winter months is not unusual, and the markets experienced similar price increases in January 2011 and 2013.  In contrast, the winter of 2012 was relatively mild, which eased the demand for natural gas and prices remained low.

Because of growing gas supply, consumers have benefitted from the falling cost of natural gas and the corresponding drop in wholesale electricity prices since 2008.  In 2012, the annual average wholesale price for electricity was $45.28/MWh, the lowest in the 13-year history of New York’s competitive markets for electricity.

In the winter retail residential, commercial and industrial gas customers served by local utilities have priority on the pipeline system to meet heating and commercial needs.  In the winter, that demand competes with the growing demand for gas as a fuel for power plants. 

 Mr. McGee of Con Edison told WPCNR that higher Con Edison rates could be expected this summer, writing:

“This summer, you may see higher electric bills compared with last summer because of rising energy supply prices.

Westchester residential customers can expect an increase of 7.5%

New York City residential customers will likely see a 6% increase in summer bills.

The higher bills (this summer) are caused by a recent rise in natural gas and power prices.