Power bills will remain almost unchanged

Sierra Pacific Power Co.'s monthly electric bills will increase 7 cents for the average customer this coming year.

The ruling was made by the Public Utilities Commission after reviewing Sierra Pacific's annual mandatory deferred energy filing made in December. That decision came after the Bureau of Consumer Protection agreed to settle issues before the commission.

For the typical residential customer using 740 kilowatt hours, the ruling means an increase in the monthly bill from $98.91 to $98.98.

"The good news is that customer bills will continue to remain stable as we head into the hot weather months of July and August when air-conditioning demands are high, all the way through the winter months when heating costs are high," said Mary Simmons, vice president for external affairs at the utility.

Sierra Pacific provides electric power to most of Northern Nevada and both the California and Nevada sides of Lake Tahoe.