Drought raises electricity rates in Sacramento

SMUD customers will begin paying more for electricity this month, thanks to the historic drought.

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District said customer bills are going up 1.3 percent as the utility copes with the shortage of inexpensive hydroelectricity.

The average household will pay $1.19 more a month, said SMUD spokesman Christopher Capra. He said SMUD’s rates are still among the lowest in the state.

SMUD is the latest California utility to raise rates as hydro supplies dry up. Roseville’s municipal utility has imposed a 2 percent hydro surcharge since last July, and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. rates went up 1.5 percent more than a year ago.

Hydro power dropped 60 percent statewide from 2011 to 2014, and this year is expected to be difficult as well. SMUD expects to get about 12 percent of its power from hydro this year, about half as much as in a normal year.

This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Drought raises electricity rates in Sacramento."