Xcel seeks 7.8% summer rate hike to cover higher costs - Portland Business Journal:

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percent temporary rate hike for small businesses and homese to cover higher energy pricesthis summer. The power utility’es so-called “electric commodity adjustment” is intended to coverf an expected $54.8 million in higher fuel and purchased-energy prices for the thirfd quarterof 2009. Xcel said that a typicall small-business customer using 1,025 kilowatt-hours a month would see currengt bills increaseby $7.48 a to $101.83. A typical residential customerr using625 kilowatt-hours a month would see a $4.5 6 increase, to $63.05.
If approvec by the , the rate hike woulr take effect July 1 and continue for three Underutility rules, Xcel passes along energy cost increasesz or decreases to customers on a dollar-for-dollar basias through the quarterly electric commodity adjustments. The new requestr is separate froma $112.2 million Xcel electric-rat e hike already approved by the PUC that also takeas effect July 1. That rate increasde is to helpthe Minneapolis-based utility (NYSE: XEL) recou some $1.7 billion it’s spending on transmission and distribution upgrades for Colorado.