Two-hour outage prompts utility briefing; board told base rate could rise about $5/month in 2025

A utility presenter told the Fort Leveau Village Board that a recent two‑hour outage knocked out power to roughly 17,500 customers north of Highway 14 after a trimming crew struck supporting guy wires. “It only lasted about 2 hours, but it knocked out power to 17,500 customers,” the presenter said.

The presenter said a pending rate study would, if adopted by the board, raise the base monthly charge from the current $28.50 to $33.50 in 2025 — about a $5 monthly increase per service — with further scheduled increases in subsequent years. “Base rate will go up to $33.50 in 2025,” the presenter said. The four‑year plan includes about $68.7 million in infrastructure work, with roughly $39 million expected to be financed through long‑term loans; staff described transmission and wholesale power cost increases (including demand from data centers) as drivers of the higher projections.

Board members asked whether the proposal would change solar compensation or net‑metering rules; staff said no changes were currently under consideration and that state rules shape how exports are credited. The presenter also described equipment work: a refurbished transformer (approved to return in July) is expected to cost about $750,000 versus roughly $1.7 million for a new unit, and the refurbished unit will improve substation resiliency.

The board did not take a formal vote on rates at the meeting. Next steps identified by staff include finalizing financing details and returning with a formal rate ordinance or recommendation for board action.