Dalton Utilities ended 2023 with an unaudited $75 million operating margin, according to data presented to the utility’s board on Tuesday.
The utility uses money generated from its operations to support investments in maintaining and expanding the operation of facilities, to fund debt service obligations and to fund its transfer payment to the city’s general fund.
Dalton Utilities pays the city each year a transfer payment set at the larger of $10.5 million or 5% of the utility’s total revenues. That transfer payment was $12.1 million in 2023.
In December, electricity revenue exceeded expenses by $3.3 million. For the year through December, electric revenue exceeded expenses by $64.6 million.
In December, natural gas expenses exceeded revenue by $317,000. For the year through December, revenue exceeded expenses by $981,000.
For water services, revenue exceeded expenses by $102,000 in December and by $5.6 million for the year through December.
For wastewater services, expenses exceeded revenue by $425,000 for the month. Expenses were $658,000 more than revenue for the year through December.
OptiLink revenue exceeded expenses by $63,000 in December and by $4.6 million for the year through December.