The Public Service Commission has approved a rate increase for MDU to help recover the cost of transmission projects.
MDU has six such projects in the cue.
The rate increase isn’t much – 25 cents a month – but PSC chairman Brian Kroshus said it’s important for reliability.
"Nobody likes to see their utility rate go up," Kroshus said. "But it doesn't work if power generated at a facility doesn't make its way to the meter, to homes or businesses."
Kroshus said you can have some of the lowest rates in the country, as North Dakota does.
"But the power has to get to where it's intended to go," Kroshus said.
Kroshus said a recent study showed North Dakota has the third most reliable electric service in the country, behind Arizona and Rhode Island.