![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2025-11-06-141824.png\")
A sample residential customer bill from Texas Gas Service<\/p>\n
City Appeals Texas Gas Rate Hike, Calls for Rehearing on El Paso Electric Rates<\/p>\n
The El Paso City Attorney\u2019s Office is appealing to state regulatory agencies to reconsider recently approved rate increases by Texas Gas Service and El Paso Electric.<\/p>\n
In the rate case for Texas Gas<\/a> Service, the City Council on Monday voted to file an appeal on the rate case with the Texas Railroad Commission, the regulating authority for the utility. The city also filed a motion for a rehearing of the rate case Feb. 17.<\/p>\n The Railroad Commission approved the Texas Gas Service rate increase Feb. 5, which resulted in customers\u2019 monthly bills increasing by about $4, with large residential clients seeing an increase of about $11.<\/p>\n Part of the appeal opposes a decision by the commission that allowed Texas Gas Service to consolidate service areas that has resulted in El Paso customers paying more than its other service areas in the state such as the Rio Grande Valley, where rates decreased.<\/p>\n The city is also seeking a rehearing from the Public Utility Commission of Texas on the El Paso Electric rate case<\/a>, according to a city news release.<\/p>\n The Feb. 20 ruling in the rate case resulted in an increase to rates for El Paso customers, though it was not as high as the utility requested. The PUC has not finalized the details of the ruling that was approved with modifications so the new rates for customers are not yet available.<\/p>\n The utility was seeking a rate increase of about 23% that would increase an average residential bill by about $22.39 per month.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s rehearing asks, in part, that the PUC reconsider how the utility allocates Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, transmission revenue credits. The credits, if allocated to residential customers could reduce the impact of the rate increase. The city is also asking the PUC to have the residential rate class not pay the full cost of providing service to each customer class as requested by the utility.<\/p>\n County Brings Water Infrastructure to Canutillo Colonias<\/p>\n El Paso County completed a first-time water and wastewater project, bringing safe drinking water and sewer services to about 400 homes across five colonias in Canutillo. Funded in part by the American Rescue Plan Act, the $11.5 million investment in northwest El Paso County is part of ongoing efforts to bridge water infrastructure gaps in underserved communities. Water infrastructure is critical for improving public health.<\/p>\n Colonias are unincorporated, low-income and predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods along the U.S.-Mexico border. These communities often comprise self-built housing and lack basic infrastructure, such as running water, sewage systems, electricity and paved roads.<\/p>\n The groundbreaking took place in 2024. Work since then included the installation of sanitary sewer pipes, manholes and more than 300 new wastewater connections, as well as the installation of PVC and iron pipes, providing almost 50 water connections.<\/p>\n The county is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at Castro Ranch, 7530 Damian Road, in Canutillo. County officials, El Paso Water officials, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar and representatives from human rights nonprofit DeepDeep are expected to attend.<\/p>\n El Paso Public Safety Complex Moves into Design and Construction Phase<\/p>\n The City Council on Tuesday approved an amendment to a contract with Jordan Foster Construction LLC that will allow design and construction work to begin on the El Paso Training Academy and Fire Department Headquarters and the Vehicle Maintenance and Logistics Center.<\/p>\n The $128 million complex, which will be located at Global Reach Drive between George Perry Boulevard and Montana Avenue, is part of the voter-approved $413 million 2019 Public Safety Bond Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n The contract amendment caps the cost of the project to be designed and built by Jordan Foster. Design of the 50-acre public safety complex will begin in April and is expected to be completed by 2029.<\/p>\n The complex will house police and fire operations, including the public safety training academy, Fire Department headquarters, and a vehicle maintenance and logistics center.<\/p>\n The City Council on Tuesday also approved using $25 million to fill a budget gap<\/a> for the complex from prior public safety bond project savings and proceeds from the sale of capital assets and the sale of future existing public safety properties. The city did not specify which properties it will sell to reimburse the capital asset fund.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-05-132001.png\")
A preliminary rendering by MNK Architects of the planned El Paso public safety training and fire logistics facility. (EPPD 20-Year Master Plan, 2019) <\/p>\n