In the mayor's office, the measure was handled by Deputy Mayor Nancy Sutley, who was recently tapped by President-elect Barack Obama to fill a high-level environmental post in Washington, D.C. Sutley said Thursday that she never received a copy of the outside analysis. "I heard it referred to once and never again," she said.
Sutley said she could not respond to the assertions in the analysis because she did not know what they were based on. She also said she never asked for the document because she wasn't sure it existed.
Councilwoman Jan Perry, who heads the Energy and Environment Committee, said Miller showed her the one-page summary of the consulting firm's findings. Perry said she was "alarmed" by the potential effect on DWP ratepayers but did not keep the document because she thought it was confidential.
Asked why she voted to put the measure on the ballot anyway, Perry said she thought she could unearth more details about the solar program in the months leading to the election. "I felt that through the committee process, we would be able to better vet the proposal, which is what I'm doing now," she said.
Greuel, who is also running for city controller, said she also looked at Miller's document but concluded that the DWP had answered all the questions raised by it.
Representatives of P.A. Consulting Group did not respond Thursday to requests for comment.
The findings zeroed in on the surcharge -- known as the Energy Cost Adjustment Factor -- that the DWP places on power bills to cover the costs of fluctuating prices, including natural gas and sources of renewable energy.
The firm warned that the surcharge, which stands at 4% annually, could triple if Measure B passes.
DWP officials said they had not received a copy of the outside analysis. But in an interview two weeks ago, Nahai said the prospect for a larger surcharge was unlikely.
"Is that within the realm of political possibility? I would say no."
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david.zahniser@latimes.com
