Testimony continues in Des Moines in Alliant rate increase application

Posted: Tue, Oct 8, 2019 3:38 PM

(Photo from the Iowa Utilities Board)

As we reported on Sunday (http://www.decorahnews.com/news-stories/2019/10/23451.html), Alliant Energy says it has reached a proposed settlement with 10 consumer and environmental groups that would lower how much additional revenue the company wants from customers. The settlement calls for allowing Alliant to increase its revenues $127 million a year more, as opposed to the $204 million it originally requested.

The Des Moines Register (https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/2019/10/07/alliant-energy-iowa-rate-increase-decorah-utilities-board/3879846002/) is now reporting that a spokesperson for the utility, Justin Foss, told them on Monday that the utility is unable to specify how much more consumers would pay under the proposed settlement. The newspaper says Foss could only tell them, "We know the increase will be a lot less than it would have been."

The newspaper then quotes "The Decorah Area Group," which is made up of the City of Decorah, Winneshiek Energy District, Luther College, Winneshiek Medical Center, and Aase Haugen Senior Services, as saying the $127 million a year increase in revenues would result in a 15 percent rate increase. Actually, (http://www.decorahnews.com/news-stories/2019/10/23454.html) DAG stated the proposed agreement calls for a roughly 15 percent increase for residential customers, 11 percent increase for general service (commercial), 15 percent increase for large general service customers, and a 20 percent increase for large general service "supplementary" customers (who have some of their own electricity generation).

The second day of testimony before the Iowa Utilities Board in Des Moines on Tuesday centered on questions involving the proposed settlement announced by Alliant on Friday.