The L.A. Board of Water and Power Commissioners approved a one-time rate hike of 0.6 cents per kilowatt hour this afternoon. The move comes after the City Council convened an emergency meeting yesterday afternoon, recommending the rate hike, after learning of today's meeting. Some believe the move to call in meeting on such short notice was a violation of the state's open meeting laws. In fact, a city attorney present at the meeting recommended against calling an emergency meeting, citing no emergency. The rate hike will go into affect July 1st. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has warned L.A. City Councilmembers that if the recent LADWP electricity rate hike approved by Water & Power board members last week is denied by them, the city could be facing bankruptcy. “Council rejection of the DWP board’s action [to increase rates] would be the most immediate and direct route to bankruptcy the city could pursue,” said the report he sent, which was obtained by the LA Times. more ›

This morning, the Los Angeles City Council gave a first round of approval for water and power rate hikes, saying infrastructure is needed to be updated. Over the next year and a half, monthly rates are expected to increase to around $7.25 (plus tax). more ›