PUC votes to increase power rates

The average monthly residential electric bill will increase to $74.29 from $72.80, says Tom Henley, a spokesman for the Las Vegas-based utility.

Commercial and other classes of customer rates will increase by 4.3 percent.

It's the second rate increase that Nevada Power has obtained since the Legislature voted in 1997 to deregulate the electricity utility industry and replace regulation with competition, said Fred Schmidt, state consumer advocate.

The PUC approved a $43 million rate increase in January 1998.

Both rate increases were obtained to offset increased energy costs for Nevada Power's generating plants and for power it purchases from wholesalers.

Schmidt said he expects the utility to file a third energy rate case in July, but Henley said Nevada Power doesn't know whether the company will need a third rate increase at that time.

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