Regulators move on phone, electric issues

Thursday, May 13, 2004 | 11:03 a.m.

The state Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday approved a plan to make calls between Laughlin and Las Vegas toll free.

Sprint, the dominant local telephone provider in Southern Nevada, made the proposal earlier this year at the urging of Laughlin businesses and residents. Under the plan, Laughlin customers will see residential rate rise $2.50 to $10.40 to match Las Vegas-area rates.

The change is expected to take effect in August.

The commission also voted to approve a draft order from Commissioner Adriana Escobar Chanos granting part of a Bureau of Consumer Protection request to reconsider a portion of a recent Nevada Power rate case. The move will cut by $1.6 million a $46 million rate annual rate increase to reflect lost rental revenue on property it sold last year.

PUC Chairman Donald Soderberg also complained that the draft order ignored the Nevada Power's requests for clarification of certain issues. A response to those requests will be included in a new draft order and is expected to be taken up again at a future hearing.

Soderberg also indicated that the commission staff, the BCP and Nevada Power are exploring possible resolutions to a complaint brought to the PUC about the application of higher fees for so-called large residential users. Customers have complained that all customers with a three-phase meter have been assessed the $50 monthly basic charge regardless of their usage. Most residential customers pay a $6 basic charge.