Public Service Commission Must Hear from Electric Customers, Stop Unfair $15 Million Rate Hike

AARP North Dakota today called on the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) to host a public hearing on Montana-Dakota Utilities (MDU) Company’s proposed $15 million rate increase. In a letter to the PSC, AARP questioned the new proposed surcharges that would unfairly raise residential electric rates $40 per year, with only a fraction of the new spending going to North Dakota projects.

“The PSC needs to hear from MDU customers before the commissioners decide on this unfair and unreasonable rate hike,” said AARP North Dakota State Director Josh Askvig. “North Dakotans are still facing unemployment rates twice as high as before the COVID-19 pandemic and the largest projected increase in food insecurity in the country. Now is not the time for the PSC to rubberstamp an electric rate hike without a public hearing.”

MDU’s proposed rate increase would pay for projects in other states with little or no benefit to North Dakota customers. Just $5 million of the increase would fund MDU transmission projects in North Dakota. AARP also questioned whether maintaining MDU’s 9.65 percent profit level is justified in the current economic recession.

Askvig added, “AARP has a long history of fighting to prevent unfair utility rate hikes so North Dakotans 50 and older can keep more of the money they’ve earned. This is a pocketbook issue for seniors and their families, many of whom struggle to balance paying utility bills and other household expenses along with buying food and medicine.”

AARP is alerting MDU electric customers and urging them to contact the PSC to demand a public hearing on the proposed rate hikes. North Dakota residents that are MDU electric customers and concerned about the proposed rate hike can email the PSC by visiting action.aarp.org/DontRaiseOurRates.