PSC Sets April 15 Hearing on Beckley Water’s Proposed 22.7% Rate Increase

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Public Service Commission of West Virginia has scheduled a public comment and evidentiary hearing for April 15 on Beckley Water Company’s request for a 22.7 percent rate increase affecting more than 22,000 customers in Raleigh and Fayette counties.
The public comment session will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Tamarack Conference Center Board Room in Beckley, followed immediately by the formal evidentiary hearing before a PSC administrative law judge.
Beckley Water filed the rate case in September 2025, seeking $3.9 million in additional annual revenue. In its application, company President Jonathan Stanley said the increase is needed to address rising labor costs, fund a long‑term maintenance program for the utility’s water storage tanks, and cover expenses tied to an upgraded cybersecurity system designed to protect the company’s operational network. The filing also cited higher chemical costs as a contributing factor.
Beckley Water Company currently serves 22,232 customers across Raleigh and Fayette counties.
Background on the Case
The filing — Case No. 25‑0841‑W‑42T — has been under review since fall 2025. PSC staff issued an initial memorandum in October noting that portions of the company’s bill analysis and accounting adjustments required additional detail. Staff also raised concerns that the proposed rate design could disproportionately impact low‑volume residential customers while reducing charges for one resale customer class.
Beckley Water formally objected to staff’s recommended rates in March, prompting the PSC to set a full procedural schedule and move the case toward hearing.
Rate cases of this size typically involve several rounds of testimony, discovery, and financial review before the Commission issues a final order. If approved as filed, the increase would be the utility’s first major adjustment since its last rate case several years ago.
How to Participate
Residents may offer comments during the April 15 public hearing or submit written statements to the PSC’s Executive Secretary at P.O. Box 812, Charleston, WV 25323. Comments may also be filed electronically through the Commission’s website.
More information, including filings and testimony, is available at www.psc.state.wv.us under “Case Information” by searching Case No. 25‑0841‑W‑42T.