A hydropower rate increase from New York’s public power provider has been pushing electricity bills even higher for local residents. Although the increase is lower than it would have been under an earlier proposal, the New York Power Authority estimated that a typical household will pay about $1 to $2 more each month.
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For Jamestown Board of Public Utilities customers, the added cost will appear in the fuel adjustment charge, WRFA reported. NYPA’s six-year schedule of hydropower rate hikes began April 1 and will raise rates incrementally until the total increase equals $10 per megawatt-hour.
Initially, NYPA planned to triple hydropower rates over four years, but opposition from the governor’s office, local governments, and customer advocacy groups led NYPA to abandon that proposal, WRFA reported.
Because the rate increases are tied to usage rather than a flat charge, the impact on individuals will vary depending on use. NYPA estimated that, for typical houses, the increase will amount to less than 3% of their annual electric bill. Kathy Hochul, New York’s governor, approved the smaller increase in March as part of a proposal that also forgave NYPA’s debt, according to WRFA…