(Spirit Lake)– About 40 people attended an Iowa Utility Board hearing Thursday in Spirit Lake on Alliant Energy’s nine-point-six percent requested rate increase.
Several local economic development officials addressed the hearing…saying while Alliant Energy has been a good corporate citizen and has done a lot to help communities with economic development, that the rate increase being proposed could put some people out of business and force others to move to places where rates are much lower…such as Milford or Spencer.
Mark Lambert, a member of the Iowa Utilities Board, told KUOO news in addition to ruling on the rate increase request, they’ll also consider an order requiring the company to charge the same rates for customers throughout the state. Currently, Alliant Energy customers in northern Iowa pay much more than customers in the southern part of the state.
