SaskPower rate hike report to be delivered by April 28

The Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel plans to begin its review of the SaskPower multi-year rate application shortly and deliver its report the minister responsible for the Crown Investments Corp. by April 28, 2014, according to a news release from SRRP.

The rate application, announced last Friday, requests a system-average rate increase of 5.5 per cent to take effect Jan. 1, 2014, with a five per cent increase effective Jan. 1, 2015, and a further five per cent increase to take effect Jan. 1, 2016. The first-year impact of the increase would be $5 on the average residential customer’s monthly bill, followed by increases of $4 per month in each of the next two years.

SaskPower has requested the rate increase for 2014 be implemented on an interim basis, pending the panel’s recommendations at the conclusion of the review.

As this is the first multiyear application submitted by SaskPower in the panel’s history, panel chair Kathy Weber says extensive public consultations will be part of the review process. In addition to providing the public with the ability to communicate via email, social media, voice messaging, fax, mail and the panel’s website, SRRP is also planning a series of public meetings for Prince Albert, North Battleford, Saskatoon, Regina and Yorkton. Additional locations may be added if needed, the release said.

All the methods of providing feedback to the panel — including the dates, times and locations of public meetings — will be advertised.

Information on the public meetings will be available on the panel’s website, Facebook and Twitter sites. The rate application and other related documents, along with updates regarding public meetings, will also be posted at the panel’s website — www.saskratereview.ca — the release said.

The panel also commissions a detailed technical study conducted by outside experts as part of its review process.