Homer Alaska - Business

The Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCRA) component of Homer Electric Association's members' bills will go from 5.297 centers per kilowatt hour to 4.424 cents per kilowatt hour. Overall, that's a decrease of about 4.4 percent in the blended rate, according to a statement from HEA's Joe Gallagher. The overall energy rate is now 19.046 cents per kilowatt hour, down from 19.919 cents per kilowatt hour.

For the average residential customer using 630 kilowatt hours, that's a decrease of about $5.50.

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska approved the decrease effective Nov. 1.

The WPCRA portion of an electric bill represents natural gas costs in generating electricity, and comes from Chugach Electric Association, the utility that generates much of HEA's power. The decrease comes after Chugach filed with the regulatory commission to decrease its supplemental fuel cost adjustment.

The decrease follows an increase that went into effect Oct. 1, based on that same portion of the bill. That increase was estimated at about $6.23 on the average monthly bill.

This decrease means the quarterly rate is still higher than last quarter, when the WPCRA was 0.04307. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the WPCRA was $0.00715 Gallagher said earlier this fall. It's increased each quarter since then.

In the statement, Gallagher said the mid-quarter adjustment is unusual, but results from Chugach's changed fuel cost filing.