Rosemarie Alexander, KTOO – Juneau
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska says it won’t allow Juneau’s electrical utility to raise rates 20 percent this month. On Thursday, the commission denied Alaska Electric Light and Power’s request for the interim increase while it studies a permanent 24 percent hike, a process that could take 15 months.
The size of the interim rate increase – 20 percent – caught the agency’s attention, according to spokeswoman Grace Salazar. At an average household use of 750 kilowatts a month, it would amount to about $14 more a month in electricity charges during the winter.
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