Southwest Arkansas Radio Radio Stations KMTB, KNAS and KBHC in Nashville, Arkansas
Southwestern Electric Power Company has submitted a request to the Arkansas Public Service Commission for a net annual increase of $45.6 million in the company’s non-fuel base rates, plus $12 million for increased vegetation management.
If approved, new rates would likely go into effect in the first billing cycle of January 2020. The combined $57.6 million request would result in an overall bill increase of approximately $22.60 per month, or 24 percent, for an Arkansas residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month.
Since SWEPCO’s last base rate review 10 years ago, the company’s operations and maintenance expenses and its capital investments in generation, transmission and distribution facilities have increased substantially.
SWEPCO is also requesting that $28.9 million for costs currently recovered through separate charges on customers’ bills be moved into base rates. These existing costs include power plant environmental retrofits to meet federal mandates, construction of a high-efficiency, combined cycle natural gas plant, and recovery of costs related to energy efficiency programs.
