Delmarva Power and Light has lowered its interim rate increase by about 40%, but with pending legislation seeking a larger decrease, the Public Service Commission postponed action to early July.

During the June 24 PSC meeting, DPL Assistant General Counsel Zi-Xiang Shen acknowledged concerns about energy costs and customer affordability during her request for a Thursday, July 9 increase of $3.39 per month for residential customers who use 826 kilowatt hours of electricity. DPL had previously intended to ask for about a $6 increase. This is on top of a standard offer service increase for power supply costs the PSC already approved, which went into effect June 1 for a $15 increase on monthly bills based on 811 kilowatt hours of usage.

Both PSC staff and the deputy public advocate had requested the commission table the interim rate increase.

Moving through the legislature with support from Gov. Matt Meyer is Senate Bill 326, which would limit DPL to an interim rate increase of half of its existing rate, rising to 75% after a year.

Non-mandatory capital spending would be capped to 5% of DPL’s most recent rate case with exceptions for spending on vegetation maintenance, facility relocations and emergency failures.

The bill also prevents DPL from passing on attorney fees and consulting costs to ratepayers, if those costs exceed combined costs for PSC and public advocate staff and attorney costs.

Sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Hansen, D-Middletown, the bill passed the Senate June 16 by a 20-1 vote, and was in a House committee June 24, the same time as the PSC meeting.

Before the commission unanimously approved tabling DPL’s increase request, PSC Chair Harold Gray said the public is against rate increases.

“It looks like the interest of the public is swaying in a direction that is pushing back and trying to find ways in which to put a check on the rise in their cost and prices,” he said. “Under the circumstances, the trends seem to be pushing in a direction that is going to have a different landscape pretty soon.”

However, Gray said if the smaller, interim rate does not go into effect, there is a risk that ratepayers could be hit with a higher rate in the future.

“Because they would be missing it in the interim rate,” he said.

The PSC is scheduled to meet Wednesday, July 1, the day after the end of the General Assembly. A special meeting could be called Wednesday, July 8.

In respect to Gov. Meyer’s call June 15 for PSC to freeze DPL rate increases, PSC Executive Director Matt Hartigan said Public Advocate Jameson Tweedie is working on a petition regarding resetting DPL’s profit model.

“I understand Mr. Tweedie is working on that diligently,” he said.