CHARLOTTE (AP) ó Duke Energy has reached agreement with North Carolina’s utility consumer advocate on how much to increase electricity rates in the state.
The North Carolina Utilities Commission on Wednesday agreed to postpone a Monday hearing on the rate increase for two days to allow final details to be worked out.
Duke Energy wanted an overall increase of nearly 13 percent for its nearly 2 million North Carolina customers. It would be the Charlotte power company’s first general rate increase since 1991.
The commission’s Public Staff said that Duke deserved only an overall increase of about 5 percent.
The Public Staff represents consumers. The Utilities Commission’s board must approve rate increases.