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Avista eyes Idaho rate hikes

| February 4, 2025 1:08 AM

Avista is proposing to increase natural gas and electric rates in Idaho.

The company has filed a multi-year rate plan with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission that would allow it "to recover costs for fixed expenses and ongoing investments to infrastructure, technology and more, a press release said.

 If approved, new rates would be effective in September this year and next.

“The cost of delivering safe and reliable energy includes maintaining and improving a massive infrastructure made up of pipes, poles, dams, and substations as well as technology upgrades," said Avista President and CEO Heather Rosentrater in the release. "These expenses are necessary to ensure that we can continue to provide our customers with safe, efficient, and reliable power."

Residential electric customers in Idaho using an average of 939 kilowatt hours per month could expect to see a total billed increase of 14.7% or $15.36 for a revised monthly bill of $119.66 from $104.30, effective in September. The proposed monthly increase includes a $5 per month proposed increase in the basic charge to a level of $25 per month.

Based on the same usage next year, residential electric customers in Idaho could expect to see a total billed increase of 5.3% or $6.36 for a revised monthly bill of $126.02 from $119.66. The basic charge would go to $30 a month.

Residential natural gas customers in Idaho using an average of 66 therms per month could expect to see a total billed increase of 10.4% or $6.29 for a revised monthly bill of $66.92 from $60.63. Next year, based on the same usage, they could expect to see a total billed increase of 1.3% or 88 cents for a revised monthly bill of $67.80 from $66.92.

If approved, the electric general rate request is designed to increase annual base revenues by $43 million effective Sept. 1, 2025, and $17.7 million effective Sept. 1, 2026. The natural gas general rate request is designed to increase annual revenues by $8.8 million effective Sept. 1, and $1 million effective Sept. 1, 2026.

The plan would create a "stay-out period" where Avista would not file a new general rate case for new rates to be effective before September 2027.

"This would provide customers with some predictability in their expected future energy prices," the release said.

Among the projects included in the filing are:

• Ongoing management, inspection and replacement of 240,000 electric distribution wood poles.

• Continued investment in Avista’s Wildfire Resiliency Plan

• The ongoing project to systematically replace portions of natural gas distribution pipe in Avista’s service area that were installed before 1987, as well as replacement of other natural gas service equipment to strengthen the integrity, safety and reliability of the system.

• Technology upgrades that support business processes and operational efficiencies that allow Avista to manage the utility and serve customers.

In the release, Avista said it needs "to continue to replace infrastructure that has reached the end of its useful life, as well as respond to the need for reliability and technology investments required to build the integrated energy services grid that will take us into the future."

The commission will review Avista’s application and seek public input. To comment, go to the commission website or mail comments to: Idaho Public Utilities Commission, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0074.