Brownsville City Commission takes action on BPUB refunds

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Brownsville City Commission met Tuesday evening to finalize the distribution of refunds to Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) customers.

BPUB will be issuing credits to current customers and checks to prior customers who were active during the Tenaska Equity Fund timeframe.

The distribution of fund will follow as listed below:

Phase 1 - customers who are active as of May 1, 2023 will receive a credit on their bill for the amount of their refund beginning Monday, May 8. Customers will see the credit on their next bill after that date. Current PUB customers will be able to check the status of their refund on that date.

Phase 2 - inactive customers will receive their refund by check mailed to their last known address beginning May 22.

If you received help from a social service agency or assistance programs to pay all or a portion of your utility bill, your refund will be paid to those agencies.

Tenaska, an international power development company, partnered with the city to develop a multimillion dollar power plant in Brownsville.

BPUB customers saw their electric rates increase to fund the deal for a power plant that never came to fruition.

"We are looking at a specific timeframe when people were active customers," Ryan Greenfeld, Communications and Public Relations Manager for PUB. "Specifically, April 2013 to September 2016."

The refund ...