PUD Presents Smaller Residential Rate Increase of 1.9 Percent

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The Lewis County Public Utility District board of commissioners this week introduced a revised rate increase for 2021 — which presented an average residential rate increase of 1.9 percent in 2021 compared to the 2.6 percent rate increase proposed at previous rate hearings.

PUD General Manager Chris Roden presented the rate changes to the PUD commissioners at 10 a.m. on Tuesday via Zoom.

Each residential customer bill consists of the daily basic charge and the kilowatt-hour charge. The daily charge is slated to remain the same at 95 cents. The kilowatt-hour charge increase has been lowered from the previously presented 3.4 percent to 2.5 percent. When each charge is combined, an average residential customer will see a 1.9 percent total increase in their electric bill. 

The previously proposed rate increase would have increased the average residential customer’s bill by 2.6 percent or an average of $3.32 — the commissioners asked staff to lower the increase at the Oct. 20 meeting. Commissioners will likely vote on the revised rates at their next meeting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 17. If the rate changes are approved, they will go into effect starting January of 2021. 

Some of the reasons the PUD has given to explain the need for a rate increase include increased Bonneville Power Administration rates, local power consumption being flat due to COVID-19 and large customer loss, increased investments in capital projects, continued investment in tree trimming and increasing operation costs — labor, goods, materials.

“We have a few major factors driving retail sales assumptions. One, first and foremost, is COVID-19. There’s a lot of uncertainty about this. Unfortunately, seeing the number of business closures locally, it is having a dampening effect on retail sales estimates into the future,” Roden said during a budget hearing earlier this fall.

The PUD is also planning a $21 million debt issuance for substation rehabilitation and advanced metering infrastructure to be repaid over the life of the equipment. The substation infrastructure is aging and is, on average, about 54 years old when 30-40 years old is the industry standard.



More information on the PUD electricity rates, planned capital projects and upcoming meetings can be found at www.lcpud.org.

In other business, the PUD received $100,000 in CARES Act funding from the county for a utility bill assistance program and has been accepting applications from customers impacted by COVID-19 since late October. The PUD will continue to accept applications until Nov. 10 or until the funds are exhausted.

“As it stands right now, thanks to this program being quickly and effectively propped up by staff, we have roughly $50,000 of the $100,000 spoken for,” said Roden.

Roden said it is possible that additional CARES Act funds will be available if the need is there.

For more information about the bill assistance program or to apply online visit www.lcpud.org or call Lewis County PUD customer service at 360-748-9261.