Utility Rates
RSSRegulatory Commission of Alaska rulings, Railbelt utility rate cases, heating oil delivery, rural electric cooperative rate fights
Electric bills would rise in Bethel, Yakutat and 50-plus rural communities
Electric bills would rise about 4.75% in Bethel, Yakutat and 50-plus rural communities under an AVEC proposal, on customers already paying several times urban rates.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAI
Utility warns of rolling blackouts in Southcentral as soon as this winter
At a Municipality of Anchorage press conference last week, MEA's CEO warned that Southcentral could see rolling blackouts as soon as November if Cook Inlet gas falls short — the first time in 45 years he says he can't guarantee power.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min readAI
Matanuska Electric goes on taproom tour as members absorb rising rates and a looming gas cliff
MEA's CEO is hitting the taprooms to meet members — right as they absorb a rate hike, brace for 5%-a-year increases, and face a 2029 gas cliff.
by Walter AlaskaNews5d ago1 min readAI
Why Sitka subsidizes electric bills: the Blue Lake Dam debt
Sitka is taking applications through Oct. 31 to subsidize electric bills — a program driven by the $125M Blue Lake Dam debt that keeps local power expensive.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAI
ENSTAR says it locked in a price for Alaska LNG
ENSTAR locked in $16 per thousand cubic feet for North Slope pipeline gas, undercutting LNG imports at $20 to $23 but raising costs 48% above current Cook Inlet supply before adding $4.50 to $6 in distribution and storage charges.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Two Anchorage housing votes on June 23: a tax break and new fees on the same new homes
Anchorage's June 23: a tax break for starter-home buyers, plus new utility fees on the same construction. The math depends on builders.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min readAI
AWWU files new tariff revisions with Alaska regulators, opening public comment on Anchorage water and sewer rates
Anchorage water and sewer bills rose $5.46 per month in 2026 after the Assembly approved increases and AWWU filed tariffs with state regulators, opening public comment through July 31.
by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago2 min readAI
Two new directors join the GVEA board that sets Interior power rates
Dave Messier and Philip Wight just won seats on GVEA's board — the member-owned body that sets Interior power rates. Their first day on the job? A fuel-supply vote.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Chugach Electric proposes 3.5% rate hike to cover $11.2 million shortfall
Chugach Electric seeks a 3.5% rate increase to cover an $11.2 million shortfall, adding about $4.55 to typical monthly bills, with a decision expected by November 2026.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4w ago2 min readAI
When the electric co-op sprays herbicide near your well, what are you owed?
MEA's spraying herbicide near Knik-Goose Bay. Alaska's strict notice rules cover only government land — so near your private well, what you're owed is mostly MEA's call.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min readAI
Mat-Su power bills climb as Alaska's energy squeeze bites
Mat-Su electric bills are rising about $14.53 a month — driven by a cold spring, low hydro, and new Hilcorp gas-storage fees, a snapshot of Southcentral's tight energy supply.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Kaktovik residents press North Slope Borough on cracked homes
Kaktovik and Nuiqsut residents told the North Slope Borough Assembly that homes are cracking and settling, and asked for repairs and new programs to address the damage.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago4 min readAI
Homer sets policy framework for future water and sewer rate changes
Homer City Council adopted a policy framework Tuesday that will guide future water and sewer rate increases, though no specific rate changes take effect yet.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Homer electric members get a small break while Interior faces a big spike
Homer electric members are paying about $3.30 less since July 1 — a rare bit of good news, while Interior members brace for a 62% cost-of-power spike.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readAI
A pipeline wants to more than double its rates, and Alaska has a stake
A North Slope pipeline company wants to more than double its gas-shipping rates — and since Alaska takes a cut of that gas's value, the hike could dent state revenue too. Comment by July 21.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min readAI
MEA seeks RCA approval to pass gas storage costs to ratepayers
MEA seeks approval to add natural gas storage costs to monthly electric bills through an automatic adjustment rider, passing Hilcorp storage fees directly to ratepayers as the utility secures more gas for Southcentral Alaska.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Oliktok Pipeline seeks 160% rate hike on North Slope gas segments
Oliktok Pipeline is seeking to nearly triple gas transportation rates on three North Slope segments, with new rates set to take effect Aug. 1, 2026, pending Regulatory Commission of Alaska approval.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAI
Matanuska Electric wants members to go renewable without a rooftop, but it hasn't said what it costs
Matanuska Electric wants you to go renewable without the rooftop. What it'll cost, and whether non-subscribers help pay, is the part nobody's said yet.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min readAI
GVEA updates rules for connecting generators 20 MW and larger
Golden Valley Electric Association filed rules for connecting large power plants to the Interior grid as the Fairbanks region lost access to cheaper outside power and now depends entirely on local generation.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
GVEA files 62% cost-of-power increase with regulators
Golden Valley Electric Association's cost-of-power surcharge rises 62 percent on June 1, going from $0.12779 to $0.20652 per kilowatt-hour. For a 600 kilowatt-hour household, the change adds about $47 to the monthly bill. State Representative Zack Fields told a legislative committee that Interior utilities have leaned more on diesel as gas supply tightens.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago2 min readAIAlaska lawmakers hear warnings of rural fuel crisis, weigh loan program expansion
The House Energy Committee heard testimony about fuel supply challenges facing rural Alaska communities and discussed potential expansions to the state's Bulk Fuel Revolving Loan Fund.
by Alaska News3mo ago5 min readAI
The public can't sit in as the Railbelt reworks your power costs
The body redrawing how Railbelt transmission costs get split is meeting behind closed doors this week — legal under its own bylaws, though the binding decisions still face public review.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min readAI
Chugach proposes fees for community solar hookups
Chugach Electric proposes charging members $1,124 to $2,248 to join community solar projects, plus $2.80 monthly fees, pending Regulatory Commission approval by June 17.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Railbelt Transmission Organization schedules three subcommittee meetings
The Railbelt Transmission Organization scheduled three closed subcommittee meetings in late July to finalize a tariff that would standardize power-sharing charges among utilities.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min readAI
Rural Alaska Electricity Costs Run Three to Five Times Urban Rates
Rural Alaska residents pay electricity costs three to five times higher than urban areas due to diesel-powered microgrids and fuel delivery challenges in remote villages.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
MEA wins easement on Mental Health Trust land in Wasilla
Matanuska Electric Association won an easement on Mental Health Trust land in Wasilla to install electric utility infrastructure
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Homer's co-op is opening the door to community solar — with a fee and a six-month wait
Homer's electric co-op wants to let members share community solar — for an upfront fee, monthly charges, and a six-month wait after it's even approved. Baby steps.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Four Railbelt utilities file shared-solar tariffs in two days
All four major Railbelt utilities filed tariffs for shared-solar programs on June 2 and 3, letting Alaskans buy shares in renewable facilities without installing rooftop panels and receive credits on their monthly electric bills.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAI
This Juneau utility filing won't change your bill, but the rate case behind it could
Alaska Electric Light & Power filed some "housekeeping" for Juneau bills. Boring, sure, but don't confuse it with the separate case where it actually wants more money.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Cook Inlet gas production drops 60% since 2010
Cook Inlet natural gas production has dropped 60% since 2010 to 200 million cubic feet per day, leaving winter demand unmet and forcing utilities to plan for costly LNG imports starting in 2033.
by Alaska News2mo ago2 min readAI
Doyon Utilities seeks rate hikes up to 51% at 3 Alaska military bases; comment deadline July 21
Doyon Utilities is seeking permanent rate increases up to 51 percent for water, power, and heat at Fort Richardson, Fort Greely, and Fort Wainwright, with a public comment deadline of July 21.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min readAI
Doyon wants to raise Fort Richardson water rates by nearly half
Doyon wants to hike Fort Richardson water rates by nearly 51 percent — and some JBER families would eat a wastewater increase on top of it. Comment by July 21.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI
Petersburg sewer rates to rise 20% as EPA bans mixing zone
Petersburg Assembly approved 20% sewer rate hike starting July 2026, adding $12 monthly to residential bills. • EPA banned mixing zones for wastewater, requiring $12-15 million in new treatment equipment. • Borough got $8 million federal funding but faces additional 10% annual increases through 2030. • Nine Alaska cities including Anchorage face similar EPA mandates.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min readAI
Southcentral utilities warn of steep rate hikes as Cook Inlet gas dwindles
MEA and ENSTAR told lawmakers Southcentral electricity and heating bills will jump $21 to $31 monthly starting in 2029 when Cook Inlet gas contracts expire and utilities switch to costlier imported liquefied natural gas.
by Alaska News2mo ago3 min readAI
House panel advances travel insurance consumer protection bill
The Alaska House Transportation Committee moved HB 302 forward Tuesday, legislation that would modernize the state's travel insurance regulations to align with national standards adopted by 42 other states.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
Four Alaska utilities file community-energy tariffs in 72 hours
Four Alaska utilities filed tariff proposals this week to launch community-energy programs under 2024 state law, letting renters and homeowners buy shares in shared renewable projects without rooftop equipment.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Kodiak water customers face $250 involuntary disconnect charge, $1,000 tampering fine under new rules
Kodiak water customers will pay $250 to restore service after a 30-day shutoff and face up to $1,000 fines for meter tampering under rules the City Council adopts Thursday.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska House panel debates insurance gaps for gig delivery drivers
The House Labor and Commerce Committee heard testimony Friday on Senate Bill 35, which would require delivery network companies to provide $1 million in liability coverage when drivers are actively delivering, but leaves a coverage gap when the app is open but no delivery is accepted.
by Alaska News3mo ago4 min readAI
Data center project promises rate relief amid public concerns over noise, power
Cryptocurrency data center would generate $2 million yearly and stabilize electric rates using existing power. • Residents worry about noise, fire safety, and power availability for future housing growth. • Company says facility quieter than old cannery equipment and willing to cut operations during peak demand.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago3 min readAI
One corner of Homer pays an extra tax to keep the water moving
In one waterside corner of Homer, owners pay an extra 1-mill tax the rest of the city doesn't — to fund their own storm drains. The council just voted to keep charging it.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min readAI