Hearing set for Southwest Gas rate hike proposal

The Public Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing Sept. 11 to get public comment on the Southwest Gas application to raise rates.

The hearing will be held in Las Vegas, video conferenced to Carson City. Southwest proposes to raise rates by 9 percent in Las Vegas but by just 3 percent in its Northern Nevada service area which includes Carson City.

The company’s last rate increase was in 2012.

This increase, if approved, would increase the utility’s revenues by about $32.5 million.

Comments will be limited to five minutes in the hearing that will begin at 6 p.m.

The rate increase application itself will be heard by the PUC on Oct. 22 at 10 a.m.