MidAmerican Energy is asking the Iowa Utilities Board to allow it to phase in a rate increase for its 641,000 customers in Iowa.
The Iowa Utilities Board website says the company’s request is for a rate increase of more than 10 percent for residential customers, to be phased in over three separate increases in August 2013, January 2015 and January 2016.
“Under MidAmerican’s full rate increase application, the average residential monthly bill increase would be about $2.73 (3.6 percent) for temporary rates in 2013 and 2014, $2.75 (3.5 percent) in 2015, and $2.68 (3.3 percent) in 2016,” according to information on the Iowa Utilities Board website.
MidAmerican Energy also wants to implement a 10-year plan to consolidate rates in various service zones, which could have a more significant impact on what some customers pay.
Eight public meetings were planned for customers to comment on the proposed rate increases:
- Iowa City: Thursday, June 13, 2013, 5:30 p.m. – Iowa City Public Library, Room A, 123 S. Linn Street.
- Des Moines: Monday, June 17, 2013, 5:30 p.m. – Iowa Utilities Board/Office of Consumer Advocate Building, Hearing Room, 1375 E. Court Avenue.
- Storm Lake: Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 5:30 p.m. – King’s Pointe Resort, Rooms A and B, 1520 E. Lakeshore Drive.
- Council Bluffs: Monday, June 24, 2013, 5:30 p.m. – Council Bluffs Public Library, Room B, 400 Willow Avenue.
- Sioux City: Tuesday, June 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m. – Briar Cliff University, Stark Student Center, Clare Room, 3303 Rebecca Street.
- Davenport: Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 5:30 p.m. – Modern Woodmen Park, 3rd Floor Suite Level, 209 S. Gaines Street.
- Waterloo: Thursday, June 27, 2013, 5:30 p.m. – Petersen Town Hall, Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial Street.
- Fort Dodge: Tuesday, July 2, 2013, 5:30 p.m. – Best Western Starlite Village Inn and Suites, 1518 3rd Avenue NW.
The Iowa Utilities Board is also accepting written comments from the public via their electronic comment form or by email at customer@iub.iowa.gov. Written comments can also be mailed to Iowa Utilities Board, Executive Secretary, Docket No. RPU-2013-0002, 1375 E. Court Avenue, Room 69, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0069.