Iowa Utilities Board

10/04/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/04/2024 14:26

IUC revises procedural schedule for Iowa-American Water's proposed rate increases

Public hearing date, final order deadline change under new schedule

(Des Moines) - The Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) issued an order today establishing a revised procedural schedule that changes the public hearing date and extends the deadline for issuance of the IUC's final order regarding Iowa-American Water Company's (Iowa-American) pending application for an increase in its water and wastewater service rates.

Iowa-American's application to increase its annual revenues under Iowa Code 476.6 and 199 Iowa Administrative Code chapter 26 of the IUC's administrative rules was filed on May 1, 2024, in Docket No. RPU-2024-0002.

On August 29, Iowa-American filed additional testimony and exhibits. On September 4, the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA), a division of the Iowa Department of Justice, filed a "Motion to Strike, Stay Procedural Schedule, and Convene Status Conference." The IUC issued an order on September 6 staying the procedural schedule and setting a status conference for September 26.

The IUC held the status conference, which was attended by the OCA, Iowa-American, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, the City of Bettendorf, and the Iowa Business Energy Coalition. Both the OCA and Iowa-American presented revised procedural schedules.

Today's order addressed Iowa-American's filing of additional testimony and exhibits and set a revised procedural schedule that includes a new public evidentiary hearing date of January 6, 2025. Parties will have until December 6, 2024, to notify the IUC of a settlement, and any settlement filed after December 6 will be presumed to require rescheduling of the hearing. The IUC's statutory final order date for this proceeding is March 3, 2025; however, due to the extent of new information provided by Iowa-American, the IUC has found good cause to extend the final order deadline to May 27, 2025.

Persons with disabilities requiring assistive services or devices to observe or participate in the hearing should contact the IUC at 515-725-7300 or [email protected] at least five days in advance of the scheduled date to request arrangements.

Written comments can be filed in this rate case by completing and submitting the online comment form, by email to [email protected], or by postal mail to the Iowa Utilities Commission, Docket No. RPU-2024-0002, 1375 E. Court Ave., Des Moines, IA 50319-0069.

Iowa-American provides water service to almost 70,000 retail customers in and around Clinton, Davenport, Dixon, Bettendorf, LeClaire, Riverdale, Panorama Park, Blue Grass and Donahue, Iowa, and wastewater/sewer service to 825 retail customers in and around Blue Grass and Donahue.