MEA board OKs rate increase


Published on Thursday, August 13, 2009 7:22 PM AKDT

PALMER — Electricity for most Mat-Su consumers may cost a little more this winter. The Matanuska Electric Association Board of Directors has voted to authorize a 1.46 percent increase in the cooperative’s base rates effective the first week of October.

In a prepared statement announcing the increase, MEA spokesperson Lorali Carter said the average MEA consumer uses about 800 kilowatt hours of electricity per month.

“These consumers can expect to see a monthly increase of about $1.12 as a result of the base rate adjustment,” she said.

The increase is subject to approval from the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.

Comments

11 comment(s)

    Get Educated wrote on Aug 16, 2009 6:01 PM:

    " To Consumer and Wondering.... to be perfectly honest I'm not sure how this board is doing. I do know, however, that no matter what this board does we are still saving money by not having Carmony and Babcock around. I don't think we have to worry about those guys winning a suite. When people say things like that it makes me realize how little people really know about how MEA was being ran. I don't have enough room in this comment to begin to explain the absurd management style this guys had. "

    Consumer wrote on Aug 15, 2009 7:22 PM:

    " Someone should ask the RCA to review the current board's use of our money to further their method of feathering their personnel pocketbooks. "

    Wondering wrote on Aug 15, 2009 7:18 PM:

    " Let's see, new board, earning $2100 per meeting, new attorney earning $45,000 per month, two general managers,because board and new attorney can't find ANY ground to fire old manager, also have a perfectly good attorney on staff, plus any other way the board can spend money, and guess what , it will only get better when Babcock, Scott and Carmony all win their lawsuits for illegal actions of this board; consumers foot the bill, oh yes, isn't change and transparency good, just like the federal government we are currently laboring under. "

    ReadyKilowatt wrote on Aug 15, 2009 1:23 PM:

    " The rate case is based upon a rate case test year which was during the reign of Carmony. These rate increases we set in motion over 18 months ago.

    A questions that begs answering...If the new power plant is built, what will be be the actual cost of delivered power to the MEA consumer? Will it be lower than what CEA or AMLP can provide it to us. No one on the MEA Board or management will answer that question. "

    Get Educated wrote on Aug 15, 2009 8:36 AM:

    " It surprises me why people are shocked by a rate increase. It also surprises me that the reason people think Carmony kept the rates low is because he was doing a good job. Carmony ran MEA into the dirt to keep rates down. MEA is now around 100,000,000 in the hole. Doesn't it seem logical that the rates must go up to fix the mess the previous board and manager left behind. Don't kid yourself and think that rates were only low before because of a job well done. This is a necessary increase. "

    Doug wrote on Aug 14, 2009 8:05 PM:

    " get a new board get a rate increase.So much for any increases the poor might have gotten on the enegy assistance.
    The man keeping them boys down !!!
    were have we heard that before. "

    Dennis Oakland wrote on Aug 14, 2009 7:34 PM:

    " I see the spineless weasel is back.

    Oh yes, another rate increase from the new "Low Rates" MEA board. The most corrupt board since the creation of MEA continues on it's quest to diminish your living standards.

    Someone needs to be very careful about using my real name to post fake comments, it could wind you up in court.. sooner than you think. "

    Matsu Valley rez wrote on Aug 14, 2009 5:38 AM:

    " Anybody else notice that rates increased basically nil while Carmony and his crew were in charge. Since this new board has taken over, the rates have increased a number of times. "

    Dennis O. wrote on Aug 13, 2009 11:30 PM:

    " Very reasonable, all things considered. Keep up the good work. "

    RZ wrote on Aug 13, 2009 9:57 PM:

    " Gotta cover the legal fees the board has been running up with all their games. Thanks guys. "

    Enstar or is it Enron MEA at least Believable wrote on Aug 13, 2009 7:43 PM:

    " Considering we have announcements every six months by Enstar that our bills will go up anywhere from 9% on.....MEA's announcement is almost met with a sigh of relief. MEA's increase is believable. "

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