Meetings set on MidAmerican Energy rate hike

DES MOINES (AP) — State regulators have scheduled a series of public meetings to gather input on MidAmerican Energy’s plans to increase electric rates by 3 to 4 percent this year to cover rising costs.

The Iowa Utilities Board will hold six meetings across the state from Feb. 23 to March 13 for customers to provide public comments on a proposed electric rate increase to be filed next week by MidAmerican Energy. At these meetings, customers will be able to provide comments and ask questions directly of representatives for the IUB, MEC, and the Office of Consumer Advocate, which represents consumers’ general interests in IUB proceedings.

The meetings include:

• February 23, at 5:30 p.m., Iowa Utilities Board, John Norris Hearing Room, 1375 E. Court Avenue, Des Moines.

• February 28 at 5:30 p.m., Modern Woodmen Park, Suites 10 and 11, 209 South Gaines Street, Davenport.

• March 1 at 5:30 p.m., Waterloo Center for the Arts, Petersen Town Hall, 225 Commercial Street, Waterloo.

• March 6 at 5:30 p.m., Briar Cliff University, Stark Student Center, Clare Room, 3303 Rebecca Street, Sioux City.

• March 8 at 5:30 p.m., Johnson County Fairgrounds, Montgomery Hall, 4261 Oak Crest Hill Road SE, Iowa City.

• March 13 at 5:30 p.m., Council Bluffs Public Library, Rooms A & B, 400 Willow Avenue, Council Bluffs.

The IUB’s decision on permanent rates in this case is anticipated by late December. MEC serves about 637,700 electric customers in Iowa.

The company says the increase is necessary to recover rising environmental requirements and energy production cost.

Iowa law allows utilities to impose rate increases on a temporary basis until regulators make a final decision.

MidAmerican Energy is the state’s largest utility with 770,000 customers. It’s operating under a rate freeze that preserves rates until 2013.

The company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, Neb., hasn’t raised base electric rates in 16 years.