SEAPA board postpones rate increase decision

The Southeast Alaska Power Agency Board voted against a half-cent rate increase at their meeting earlier this month, but will vote on a possible rate increase again in March.

The Tyee Lake hydro project dedicates its power to Petersburg and Wrangell, and the Swan Lake hydro project produces power for Ketchikan. In the past, the Tyee Lake hydro project has always produced more power than the two communities could use, so the excess power was sold to Ketchikan. Low lake levels in Tyee Lake this year prevented the hydro project from selling power to Ketchikan, resulting in a loss of $2.9 million...