Electric company requests increase in base rates

NEGAUNEE — An electric company serving many parts of the Upper Peninsula is requesting an increase in its electric base rates for next year.

The Upper Peninsula Power Company announced that it has applied for permission from the Michigan Public Service Commission to raise the rates by 6.45 percent. UPPCO officials say the effect on customers will vary.

In one example, average residential customers using 500 kilowatts will see an increase of less than ten dollars on their bill each month, or around 33 cents a day. Start–up costs to help operate UPPCO as an independent U.P. utility and investments in safety and reliability are cited as reasons for requesting the increase.