State regulators sets public meeting for Avista Corp. rate proposal

The Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission has scheduled a meeting for the public to provide comments on Avista Corp.’s proposed electric and natural gas rate change.

The virtual meeting will take place via Microsoft Teams at 6 p.m. June 16. Customers can also join by calling (253) 372-2181 and using conference ID: 328 665 042#.

Avista filed a request with the UTC in October to “recover costs for investments in infrastructure and serving customers,” according to a company release.

In April, the three-member UTC recommended a small rate decrease for electric and natural gas customers.

Under UTC staff’s proposal, an average residential electric customer using 914 kilowatt hours a month would pay 89 cents less, equating to a 1.1% decrease for an average monthly bill of $81.44.

An average residential natural gas customer using 67 therms a month would pay 11 cents less, a 0.2% decrease for an average monthly bill of $56.42.

The UTC will make a final decision on the Spokane-based utility’s rates later this year. New rates would go into effect Oct. 1.