North Dakota PSC okays interim natural gas rate increase for Xcel Energy

The North Dakota Public Service Commission has approved an interim natural gas rate increase of 10.66% for Xcel Energy customers, effective April 1. This will amount to about an $8.42 per month increase for typical residential customers, while a decision on a potentially larger rate increase of nearly 12% is still pending. The increase is attributed to costs such as investments in the gas distribution system, IT, vehicle fleet, taxes, and “peaking plants.”