Mon Power, Potomac Edison Seek $76M or $188M Rate Increases, Bill Hikes of 3%–13.9%
Mon Power and Potomac Edison filed for a $76 million inflation-based increase ($38M in Aug 2026 and Jun 2027) or a $188 million traditional boost, raising average residential bills by about 3% or 13.9%. Funds would support upgrades that cut high-voltage outage durations 43.8% and reduce rural outages by four hours annually.
1. Rate Filing Options
Mon Power and Potomac Edison requested two rate adjustment paths: a $76 million inflation-based approach with $38 million increases on August 1, 2026 and June 1, 2027, or a traditional $188 million boost. Under the inflation plan, no further rate review would be sought until April 2028.
2. Customer Bill Impact
The inflation-based proposal would raise average residential bills by roughly 3% in the first year and 2.9% in the second, while the traditional adjustment would increase bills by approximately 13.9%. Both plans maintain residential rates at the lowest level among West Virginia’s regulated utilities.
3. Reliability Investments
Proceeds would fund system enhancements that have already reduced high-voltage transmission outage durations by 43.8% and cut rural outage times by about four hours per year. Upgrades include reinforced poles and lines plus key equipment improvements at Fort Martin and Harrison power stations to enhance storm resilience.