CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. has been graded on its rate-increase request by the state of New York. The grade is not good. The staff of the state Public Service Commission is recommending drastic reductions compared with what RG&E and sister company New York State Electric and Gas Corp. are seeking in the way of higher rates for electricity and natural gas.

The PSC recommends granting only 8 percent of RG&E’s request. NYSEG was pared to 12.8 percent of its request. A final decision by the five-member commission isn’t expected for months.

Last September, the two Rochester-based utilities asked the commission for rate increases that would bring them $356.7 million in additional annual revenues. Both business and residential customers would be affected.

Overall, RG&E proposed a 22 percent increase in electric rates and a 44 percent increase in natural gas rates. NYSEG’s corresponding figures were almost 25 percent for electricity and 33 percent for gas. If approved, the increases for the two companies would be the first since the mid-1990s.

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