Aquila Meets with Community and State Leaders on Rate Filing Planned for St. Joseph Area Electric Customers

Business Wire, May 19, 2005

After the proposed increase, Aquila's electric rates would compare favorably to other utilities in Missouri. From 1985 to 2004, the Consumer Price Index has increased over 81 percent while the St. Joseph area electric rates have increased only 5.2 percent.

Helping Customers, Helping Communities

Green added, "We know there are customers who can ill afford any type of increase in their daily costs, so we are participating in a number of programs that provide them with some financial support."

Among these programs is the company's Aquila Cares initiative. The company matches 50 cents for every dollar contributed by its utility customers for low-income energy assistance in its Missouri service area. In 2004, this program provided more than $37,000 in donations to help low-income Missouri utility customers. Aquila also has provided $93,500 of non-ratepayer funds for a low-income weatherization program that is administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Also, the company offers free mail-in energy audits to assist residential customers in holding down their electric costs. In addition, Aquila offers a program that makes available high-efficiency light bulbs priced below market value for its Missouri electric customers. In St. Joseph, Aquila is currently conducting a fixed bill pilot program, WeatherFriendly Billing, which allows customers to pay the same amount each month for their electric service. This customer choice program is the first of its type in Missouri.

Besides making tangible contributions to assist customers financially, Aquila is actively involved in providing electricity using environmentally clean, renewable sources. Aquila is the first Missouri utility to provide wind power to its customers. The company purchases all the output from a wind farm in southwest Kansas. Nearly 90 percent of all electricity from this wind farm is earmarked for Aquila customers in Missouri and Kansas. In 2004, Aquila provided $75,000 of non-ratepayer money for a tall tower wind assessment study by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to further potential wind power development in the state.

The company's last increase for the St. Joseph electric service area was 3.68 percent in April 2004. The IEC portion of the previous rate increase was 2.72 percent.

Aquila serves 346,000 electric and natural gas customers in Missouri. Based in Kansas City, Mo., Aquila provides electricity and natural gas delivery service to 1.3 million customers in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.