Iowa Utilities Board says it will file its ruling in the Alliant Energy rate increase case by January 8th

The Iowa Utilities Board on Tuesday issued an order extending the filing deadline in the Alliant Energy rate increase to Wednesday, January 8th.

Both Interstate Power and Light Company, the parent company of Alliant Energy, and the Iowa Department of Justice's Office of Consumer Advocate asked for the extension from December 31st to January 8th. 

Rate increase cases normally are settled within a ten-month time period, but both IPL and OCA agreed that a large volume of evidence has been presented in the Alliant rate increase case.  Because of that, the Iowa Utilities Board will need additional time to write its final decision.

Alliant filed a request with the Iowa Utilities Board in early March of this year, asking for an overall increase of all rates by an average of 11.7 percent, which would bring in approximately $203.6 million in additional yearly revenues.  The average residential customer, however, would have seen an increase of 24.45 percent in their monthly bill.  In October it reached an agreement with some, but not all, of the objectors in the rate cases under which rates for residential customers would increase by 15.44 percent.  That agreement did not include the Decorah Area Group, a coalition of six Decorah organizations which has been opposing the rate hike.

In a filing on Tuesday, both Interstate Power and Light (IPL) and the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) state that the eight day delay in the deadline for issuing a final order in the case won't affect any other component of the case.