Summit Utilities presents proposed natural-gas rate increase; public hearing set for April 14

Summit Utilities representatives on Monday told the Texarkana City Council they plan to raise base natural-gas rates, citing roughly $13 million in new Texas investments and higher depreciation and capital costs. The company proposed an effective date of May 1, 2025 and the council set a public hearing and council action for its April 14 meeting.

Why it matters: The proposed change would shift part of the utility’s cost recovery from an Arkansas-approved rate structure to a Texas municipal review and, if approved, would raise average monthly customer bills in Texarkana from about $46 to about $62, the company said.

Summit Utilities’ Brooke Parsons, director of regulatory affairs, told the council the company wanted to give residents an early informational presentation before the April public hearing. Philip Gillum, Summit’s…