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Seattle City Light Risk Management
Resolution #31053
A representative from City Light is scheduled to present their proposed Risk Management Plan at an Energy and Technology Meeting in the near future. The Risk Management Plan is necessary because "City Light faces significant uncertainty regarding both the quantity of power available to the utility and the range of prices prevailing in the wholesale power market."
In a typical year the supply of power inherent to City Light exceeds the demand of its customers, creating a surplus. This surplus power is then sold in the wholesale power market. The revenue generated by selling is "used to offset costs that would otherwise be borne by City Light’s retail rate payers." City Light can sell its surplus power in two different manners. One is that they sell the power in the "spot market" as the power makes itself available, or it can sell the power in the "forward market" for delivery in the future. Both methods of selling involve risk.
If City Light chooses to sell the surplus in the spot market, it exposes the utility to the possibility of selling at a low rate "because the wholesale market is flush with power." Selling projected surplus in the forward market reduces this risk, but then City Light is presented with the possibility of being forced to purchase power at higher prices "in order to meet those forward commitments (as well as retail demand) in the event actual supplies" are significantly less than estimated.
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