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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Puget Sound Energy: Raise gas rates by $60 a year? By Eric Fetters Herald Writer Puget Sound Energy's request to increase natural gas rates by an average of about $60 a year is up for public comment now as the new rates advance toward a vote by regulators. The Bellevue-based utility last fall filed a request with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to raise natural gas rates by about 6 percent, or about $5 a month. PSE also is asking to increase electricity rates by nearly 10 percent, though that does not affect Snohomish County, which is served by the county's public utility. The amount of the rate increase has crept slightly upward since originally proposed last fall. PSE's proposal for natural gas customers is that the base rate charge would soar from $8.25 to $18 a month, while the per-therm rate would be slashed from 31 to 23.7 cents. The result is an increase in average household heating bills from $82 a month to just under $87, according to PSE. The state Attorney General's Public Counsel Section, which is charged with advocating for consumers in utility rate cases, raised questions about PSE's adjustment of the rate proposal while it already was under consideration by the public and regulators. The utilities commission's staff, however, ruled the adjustment was allowed. Simon ffitch of the Public Counsel Section said his office plans to issue its official opinion on PSE's rate request by the end of this month. The utility says it needs the rate changes, which are expected to generate an additional $238 million to help pay for improvements to its infrastructure. PSE spokeswoman Martha Monfried said the need to raise rates has not been affected by the utility's $7.4 billion sale to a group of Canadian and Australian investors. That transaction also is awaiting regulators' approval. "It's totally unrelated. We would have filed a rate case anyway," Monfried said. The state utilities commission is accepting public comments at a public hearing in Bellevue on Wednesday and through both e-mail and mail. As of late last week, the utilities commission had received more than 2,800 comments on the proposed gas and electric rate increases. Of those, 96 percent opposed the increases. A final decision on whether to allow the rate increase is expected in November. Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com. PSE rate hearings The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission holds a public hearing on Puget Sound Energy's requested rate increases at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room 130 B at Bellevue Community College, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE in Bellevue. Comments also are being taken by e-mail at comments@utc.wa.gov or by mail at P.O. Box 47250, Olympia, WA 98504.

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