CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

ALBANY — State Public Service Commission members said Wednesday they have concerns that have to be addressed before they vote on a rate hike for two upstate utilities, including whether they are keeping their commitments for annual capital expenditures.

The commission meets again Sept. 16 and is expected to vote then on the rate increases for New York State Electric & Gas Corp. and Rochester Gas & Electric, whose parent company is Iberdrola USA. The Spanish company merged with Energy East in 2008, forming Iberdrola USA.

"We're being asked to approve a 40-month rate plan for a company that just took over a couple years ago and had some commitments and unfortunately, we're finding not all of the commitments have been met," commission Chairman Garry Brown said.

"I think there's a little nervousness about a 40-month rate plan with a company that's yet to kind of do what they promised in the beginning," he said.

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