Avista rate increases challeged by Utilities and Transportation Comission staff

FROM NEWS SERVICE REPORTS

Staff members of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) recommended slashing millions of dollars from Avista's electric and natural gas rate increase request Wednesday, Sept. 19.

In testimony filed with the UTC, commission staff members urged rejection of the company's initial request to raise electric revenues by $41 million and instead recommended an overall revenue reduction of $1.3 million (-0.3 percent). Commission staff agreed Avista should raise natural gas revenues; but only by $4 million (2.8 percent) rather than the company's original r...