State regulators extend review periods for Railbelt utility tariffs

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska issued three procedural orders on April 23 that extend the time state regulators have to review proposed tariff changes from electric and natural gas utilities serving Southcentral Alaska.

The orders affect utilities in the Railbelt region, which stretches from Anchorage to Fairbanks. They cover Chugach Electric Association and Enstar Natural Gas Company. The commission designated hearing panels and adopted procedural schedules for dockets U-26-002, U-25-005, and U-25-023.

The tariff suspension extensions give the commission more time to review proposed rate changes before they take effect. Under Alaska law, utilities must file tariff changes with the commission. The commission can suspend the changes for up to 10 months while conducting review and public hearings.

The orders do not set final rates or approve any specific tariff changes. They establish timelines for when utilities must submit additional information, when public comment periods will occur, and when hearings will take place.

Chugach Electric Association serves more than 90,000 members in the Anchorage area and on the Kenai Peninsula. The utility is among those subject to the procedural schedules. Enstar Natural Gas Company, the primary natural gas distributor in Southcentral Alaska, has related matters under review, including tariff revision TA350-4 in docket U-25-004.

The commission regulates approximately 20 electric utilities in Alaska, along with natural gas utilities and pipeline carriers. According to a notice filed April 21, the preliminary Regulatory Cost Charge rate for electric utilities is $0.001231 per kilowatt hour. For natural gas utilities, the preliminary rate is 0.147 percent.

The Regulatory Cost Charge helps fund the commission's operations. It is collected from regulated utilities based on their revenues.

The procedural orders come as the commission manages multiple open dockets involving Railbelt utilities. The Railbelt electric grid connects six utilities serving the state's most populated region, from Fairbanks south through Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula.

Energy costs in the Railbelt affect residential customers, businesses, and industrial users including oil and gas operations. The region's electric utilities serve roughly 75 percent of Alaska's population.

The commission's review process includes opportunities for public comment and intervention by consumer groups and other interested parties. The procedural schedules adopted in the April 23 orders will determine when those opportunities occur for each docket.

Utilities must provide notice to customers when they file tariff changes. The commission can approve, modify, or reject proposed tariffs after completing its review.