PSC Approves 2 Natural Gas Increases • North Dakota Monitor

The North Dakota Public Service Commission on Thursday approved natural gas rate increases for two utilities.

The increase approved for Montana-Dakota Utilities customers is a lower than a temporary rate customers had been paying since January, so those customers will see a rate drop starting in January.

The original rate increase request from MDU was 7.5%, made in November 2023. The PSC approved a temporary rate increase of 6.5%.

On Thursday, the commission approved a 6% increase.

The average monthly increase for an MDU residential customer will be $3.55 and $3.47 for a Wahpeton residential customer.

Commissioner Julie Fedorchak noted that MDU has invested $35 million in infrastructure since the last rate increase in 2021.

Northern States Power Company, part of Minnesota-based Xcel Energy, requested a 9.4% rate increase for its North Dakota customers.

In March, the PSC approved a temporary interest rate increase of 8.7%

On Thursday, the PSC approved an overall rate increase of 8.2%, although the increase for private customers is 9%.

Xcel proposed an average residential customer increase of $6.75 per month, but agreed to an increase of $4.88 per month.

Fedorchak said the company went many years without a rate hike. While there have been rate increases in recent years, she said North Dakota natural gas prices remain well below the national average.

In December, there will be a hearing on an electricity rate increase for Otter Tail Power Co.

This story has been updated with the average price per Xcel private customer.