Public hearing set at Dole Institute for Black Hills’ proposed natural gas rate increase

State officials will conduct a public hearing here Thursday on a natural gas rate increase proposed by Black Hills Energy that would raise customer bills an average of 6.17 percent or $4.17 per month.

The Kansas Corporation Commission hearing will start at 6 p.m. in the Simons Media Room of the Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive.

The hearing will include videoconference links to allow public testimony from Wichita, Garden City and Goodland.

South Dakota-based Black Hills has 111,000 customers in Kansas, most of them in the Lawrence and Wichita areas.

Blacks Hills officials maintain the company has controlled costs through responsible investments.

“Natural gas remains a good value,” said Lon Meyer, director of business operations for Black Hills Energy’s Kansas natural gas utility.

But David Springe, chief consumer counsel for the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board, said Black Hills’ proposed shareholder return of 10.6 percent is too high.

“I don’t think that is anywhere near reasonable,” Springe said.

He encouraged Black Hills customers to show up at the public hearing to let the KCC know what they thought about the proposed increase.