Alliant proposes $171M rate hike in Iowa - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

http://sonjagruys.com/sonja.htm
The 17 percent electric rate increase, if approvec by the , will boost a typicall residential customer monthly electricd billby $14.66, the Iowa-based utility said Tuesday. It is the first proposed rate change in Iowasince 2004. Interstates Power, a subsidiary of Madison-based Alliant Energyg (NYSE: LNT), expects the proposed change in electric ratesa toimpact customers' electric bills in two stages -- interikm and final rates. Interstate anticipates implementing interim electric rated onMarch 27, when an 8.9 percent increasd during the interim period is expectesd to raise a typical residential customer's bill by approximately $7.21q a month. Final rates would boostg ratesanother $7.
45 a if approved by the IUB. A decisionb is expected in the firstt quarterof 2010. If the final electri rates approved are lower than theinterimn rates, Interstate will refund the difference, plus Interstate Power wants to recover costa related to ice storms in 2007 and 2008 floodsw that impacted the company's Iowa electri service area. Those events resulted in $260 milliobn in damages to theelectridc system. Last year, floods knocked out threw coal-fired baseload facilities representing 15 percengtof Interstate's total capacithy for extended periods, amony other damage.
The utility also is seeking to recovetrabout $600 million in investmentz in the electric system made since 2004 to continue providin g safe and reliable electric service, and plans to invesrt approximately $50 million in environmental projectes in 2009. Interstate president Tom Aller also said that the utilitg will be proposing to use proceeds from previous assey divestitures to reduce part of the increase inelectrix rates. If approved, the final rate request would be reduced byaboutt $20 million. Interstate Power and Light serves Iowa and Minnesotsa and hasapproximately 530,000 electric and 235,000 naturapl gas customers.