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October 10, 2001 PUC# 532 A01-08-020

Media Contact: Kyle DeVine - 213-576-7050 - kyl@cpuc.ca.gov

PUC TO HOLD HEARING ON BEAR VALLEY RATE INCREASE REQUEST

The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will hold a public hearing to receive comments from Bear Valley Electric Service (Bear Valley) customers on the utility's request to increase revenue by $7.8 million, or 50 percent, to cover increased costs to purchase electricity for its 21,600 customers in the Big Bear resort area of the San Bernardino mountains.

Hearing schedule follows:

Wednesday, October 17 at 7:00 p.m.

Big Bear Lake Municipal Water District Board Room

40524 Lakeview Drive, Big Bear Lake

The utility wants to use three tiers of rates for its domestic customers:

Approximately 90 percent of Bear Valley's customers are residential, about one third of which are year-round residents. Year-round customers that stay within 130% of the baseline allowance will see no increase in rates. The electric baseline allowance for most customers, since they have homes that have both gas and electrical appliances, is 270 kWh a month.

The average monthly residential bill of 449 kWh usage for a year-round customer would increase $7.74, or 14 percent, from the current $55.18 to $62.92.

However, most of Bear Valley's customers have seasonal homes and the utility proposes to bill their usage at the third tier of $0.20185 per kWh. That would increase the bill for the average monthly usage of 148 kWh by $12.65 or 54 percent, from the current $23.62 to $36.27.

Bear Valley also requests a minimum bill of $20 a month for residential customers, except low-income residential customers would see a minimum bill of $17 a month.

In addition to participation at the hearing, consumers may send their comments to the Public Advisor at public.advisor.la@cpuc.ca.gov or:

PUC Public Advisor

320 W. 4th Street, Ste 500

Los Angeles, CA 90013

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