Post by Logan on Feb 20, 2016 8:06:36 GMT -6
Avista is asking for permission to raise electric and natural gas rates for its Washington customers beginning in 2017, citing rising capital costs, which include a portion of the repairs from last November’s windstorm.
The Spokane-based utility is seeking approval from Washington regulators for two rate increases between Jan. 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018. If approved, the rate increases would add about $10 per month to a typical household’s combined electric and gas bill.
The proposed rate increase would bring in about $54 million in additional revenue for big ticket projects, such as upgrades to Spokane River dams and ongoing replacement of older gas pipelines, said Casey Fielder, an Avista spokeswoman. About $2 million of the proposed increase is related to repairs to Avista’s electric distribution system, which was heavily damaged by the gale-force winds that knocked out power to about 180,000 Avista customers in November.
Avista will reveal more information about the windstorm’s financial impact on the utility next week, when its 2015 annual earnings are released, Fielder said. Avista expects to recover the costs from windstorm damages over a period of years, she said.
Read more: www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/feb/19/avista-seeking-rate-hikes-for-washington-customers/
The Spokane-based utility is seeking approval from Washington regulators for two rate increases between Jan. 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018. If approved, the rate increases would add about $10 per month to a typical household’s combined electric and gas bill.
The proposed rate increase would bring in about $54 million in additional revenue for big ticket projects, such as upgrades to Spokane River dams and ongoing replacement of older gas pipelines, said Casey Fielder, an Avista spokeswoman. About $2 million of the proposed increase is related to repairs to Avista’s electric distribution system, which was heavily damaged by the gale-force winds that knocked out power to about 180,000 Avista customers in November.
Avista will reveal more information about the windstorm’s financial impact on the utility next week, when its 2015 annual earnings are released, Fielder said. Avista expects to recover the costs from windstorm damages over a period of years, she said.
Read more: www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/feb/19/avista-seeking-rate-hikes-for-washington-customers/