NW Natural Seeks 19% Gas Rate Hike

0:00It's April 22nd. Welcome in. This is Canada News Today, where local news meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. NW Natural, the only natural gas utility in southwest Washington, serving nearly 100,000 customers once a 19% rate hike. Starting this summer, the proposal comes from Portland-based company, but Washington's Attorney General is pushing back hard against it. They announced it back on March 23rd in a settlement with some stakeholders like industrial users and low-income advocates. The Attorney General's office sat out that deal though. Residential bills would jump the most in 2026 at 19% on average, followed by 5% in 2027 and 6%. Percent in 2028, Attorney General Nick Brown says, living costs are already sky high, and families can't take these profit-driven hits on basic utilities. Meanwhile, NW Natural insists is not about greed. Offer is for safely running the system, especially after separate climate act fees already stung.

1:00Customers. The money would go towards swapping out old meters for smart ones with remote shutoffs and alerts, plus IT upgrades and better distribution lines. The company claims they're locking in cheap gas buys and pushing efficiency to keep things affordable. Tune in after the virtual public hearing on April 30th at 6 p.m. That's where regulators will hash it out and decide if this sticks for folks in. The region.