Appalachian Power to request rate increase for Virginia customers

The rising cost of maintaining an electrical grid and keeping the lights on were the reasons cited by Appalachian Power officials when requesting approval of a rate increase on customers that would start next year.

According to information from the State Corporation Commission, an average customer’s bill would rise by more than $9.

An APCO spokesperson said a state law that allows funding to be folded into bond sales for investors actually lowered the request originally proposed–that would have been more than $17 per customer.

“The APCo Rate Reduction Act is doing what it was designed to do by lessening the impact of bill increases for our customers,” said Brian Abraham, APCo president and chief operating officer in a prepared statement. “We appreciate the legislators who helped make this law possible and supported a solution that is providing real benefits for Virginia families today.”