Manager’s Message – January 2022
PrintNo Rate Increase for 2022
Happy New Year! Now that winter is in full swing, I hope you are doing your best to enjoy our area’s winter activities. Whether it’s skiing, ice fishing, sledding or just playing in the snow with your kids, I hope you take pleasure in this winter season.
I am happy to report that there will not be an electric rate increase this year, even though Northern Lights, Inc. (NLI) will see an 8% transmission increase from the Bonneville Power Administration, along with rising supply and labor costs.
Every two years, BPA conducts a formal process known as a rate case to ensure its projected revenue from the electricity it sells will cover the expenses it incurs. The amount that BPA charges must cover payments on federal dams, building and maintaining transmission lines, fish and wildlife mitigation, energy-efficiency programs, and other obligations required by federal and state laws. This year, the rate case suggested the 8% transmission price increase.
BPA supplies 90% of Northern Lights’ power. An increase in BPA rates makes a large impact on the expenses of your co-op. The NLI board and employees have worked diligently to create a 2022 budget that will not require an increase in rates and allows us to absorb BPA’s transmission increase and the increased cost of materials. NLI stands firm on its commitment to provide safe, reliable service at an affordable price.
I wish you all the best in the new year!
Annie Terracciano
General Manager
