IID Board approves reform plan to lower summer power bills Jete Dance Academy dancers prepare for ‘Fiesta Latina’ in El Centro
EL CENTRO – The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors has voted to implement significant changes to the district’s Energy Cost Adjustment (ECA) factor, “ensuring a fairer and more predictable billing model for customers throughout 2024,” according to a press release from the IID.
According to the release, during the Tuesday, December 19 board meeting, General Manager Jamie Asbury presented the Energy Cost Adjustment Action Plan, with its main goal being to mitigate billing spikes for customers during summer months of high energy consumption while ensuring that the revenue to be collected will be sufficient to meet the district’s financial obligations.
“Today’s action by this board is intended to help our customers by setting a levelized ECA billing factor so there are no surprises each month when they receive their electricity bill,” IID Board President Alex Cardenas said in the release.
“Our general manager understood the concerns of the board and our customers and presented us with a comprehensive action plan that we were proud to adopt,” JB Hamby, vice president of the IID board, said in the release. “Today, we’ve thrown out the broken rules that have spiked our power bills and adopted a plan that will better protect families with more affordable bills year-round.”
Per the release, key highlights of the December 19 action include:
Levelize ECA factor collections throughout the year.
Transition customers enrolled in the Residential Energy Assistance Program and Emergency Energy Assistance Program to average billing to level monthly bills, using Public Benefit Charge funds to assist with the 2024 settlement month.
Promote average billing for all residential customers, relaxing program parameters to include more participation.
Create a long-term plan beyond 2024 that includes a holistic rate evaluation and accurate cost of service.
“The current ECA, adopted in 2015, was initially designed to reflect the variable costs of energy, including the costs of fuel and purchased power,” the release reads. “However, the events of summer 2023, which include unforeseen market volatility, record-breaking temperatures, unexpected unit outages and transmission disruptions, have highlighted the limitations of the current ECA,” it reads.
Dancers Angel and Zoey warm up backstage before their dance during Jete Dance Academy’s rehearsal for “Fiesta Latina” at the Jimmie Cannon Theatre at Southwest High School on Tuesday, December 19, in El Centro.
EL CENTRO – Sparkling tights adorned with glitter, dance poses and high energy marked the dance rehearsal of the Jete Dance Academy as the troupe prepared for what will be their “Fiesta Latina” recital.
Jete’s Fiesta Latina dance recital will be taking place at the Jimmie Cannon Theatre for Performing Arts at Southwest on Wednesday, December 20.
“This show is in celebration of the different
Latin cultures and people that live here in the Imperial Valley,” Maria Antonia Serrano Garin, managing director at Jete Dance Academy, said.
The dance school offers classes for students ages 3 to 17 in ballet, jazz, hip hop, acro, Latin rhythms, and contemporary dance. All of the students will take part in the show.
“It’s an excellent opportunity to see that even from a young age,” Serrano Garin said. “Some of our dancers, the youngest being three years old, can do this performance and show everybody what they’re capable of.”
The presentation will be a singular, never-before-seen performance that honors the diverse Latin cultures with a diversity of musical styles and Latin music only.
The event is unique because it honors other cultures and embraces a variety of art forms.
“Just to admire and celebrate the different cultures with all of our dancers and the people coming to join us for the show is a perfect reason for attending,” Serrano Garin said. “It’s gonna be a fun and entertaining show.”
“This show resembles all of that while including the art and the dance technique,” Serrano Garin said. “It’s also a fun celebration for everybody to enjoy.”
The Jete Dance Academy Fiesta Latina recital show will start at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. For more information call the Jete Dance Academy at (760) 693-5220 or email them at info@ jeteacademy. com.