HELCO proposes rate increase | KHON2

Hawaii Electric Light says it proposed the first increase of base rates in nearly six years.

Source: HELCO proposes rate increase | KHON2 (http://www.khon2.com/2016/09/19/helco-proposes-rate-increase/).

Accessed on 20 September 2016, 15:40 hrs, UTC.

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Comment:

The Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO) wants to increase its base rate by 6.5 percent.  The announcement comes shortly after the Public Utilities Commission rejected a proposed merger of HELCO with NextEra Energy LLC.

According to HELCO president Jay Ignacio, the average household bill would increase by $9.31 a month, boosting the monthly cost of electricity to around $171 a month.

Ignacio says the rate increase is needed to offset rising maintenance and operational costs, including the expense of removing albizia trees from nearby power lines.

Ignacio says the increasing use of renewable energy by HELCO is keeping to moderate costs. According to the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald”, HELCO is using wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower to replace imported oil used to generate power.

If the Public Utilities Commission approves the rate increase, it would take effect in the summer of 2017.

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