City Light prices cool for summer

Plaquemine City Light and Water customers will pay slightly less for their electricity this summer, but should keep an eye on their use, Mayor Mark A. “Tony” Gulotta said Monday.

The price for natural gas, used to produce must of the power the city buys, is down somewhat from last summer, and the long-range predictions are for a slightly cooler summer, too, he said.

Gulotta attended two meeting last week of the Louisiana Energy and Power Authority (LEPA), which supplies Plaquemine's electricity.

“Natural gas prices are hovering in the $4 range [per thousand cubic feet, or mcf] all summer, so our prices are going to be relatively cheap,” Gulotta said. He said there had been some fear that the oil spill in the Gulf would drive up natural gas prices, but it looks as if the price will hold steady for the next six months.

As of Friday, the forecast on temperatures were that they would not be “as bad as last summer, but, of course, that is just an educated guess,” the mayor said.

“People have got to concentrate on their usage,” Gulotta said, by making sure their air conditioners are in good condition and making other improvements to cut their power use. “...Until they realize how much electricity they're using every month, they don't have a chance at cheaper bills.”