PUC okays Atlanta Power rate hike

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved a 33.6 percent emergency surcharge for the customers of Atlanta Power Company effective July 1.

The company had requested a 54.2 percent emergency surcharge on top of a 60.6 percent increase in base electric rates.

The emergency surcharge is to pay for expenses related to the failure of the utility's hydroelectric turbine last August. In March, the commission authorized the company to incur a debt of $110,000 for expenses associated with turbine repair, the purchase of a stand-by diesel generator and other minor expenses.

The commission approved recovery of that loan with the accompanying carrying charges, but it ordered the company to maintain a separate record of surcharge payments so that it may review the surcharge and the reasonableness of the interest rate during the upcoming rate case. The surcharge is subject to refund.

The commission denied inclusion of an $18,808 loan to the company owner in the emergency surcharge. Instead, the commission said it would address that issue in the upcoming general rate case. The commission also deferred to the rate case the issue of whether two customers, the company's owner and the home of two onsite employees, should continue to receive electric power at no cost as part of their compensation package.

Atlanta Power serves about 75 residential and commercial customers in the Elmore County community of Atlanta.

The commission intends to hold workshops and/or hearings in Atlanta in the near future regarding the company's request for a 60.6 percent increase in base rates. Dates for those events will be announced later as well as the time period for taking written comments.

A full text of the commission's order, along with other documents related to this case, is available on the commission's Web site at www.puc.idaho.gov. Click on "File Room" and then on "Electric Cases" and scroll down to Case Number ATL-E-08-02.