Upstate NY utility adds power plant surcharge

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Customers of an upstate New York utility company are paying more for electricity as a surcharge kicks in to keep a power plant running.

NYSEG says delivery charges are being increased to cover the cost of operating the Cayuga Generating Facility in the town of Lansing until other sources of power are found.

The company operating the plant had planned to shut it down in January, but an agreement with NYSEG and regulators will keep it running for another year.

A residential customer using 600 kilowatt-hours will pay $1.11 more each month. A small nonresidential customer with 50 kilowatts of demand that used 12,600 kilowatt-hours will pay $29 more. Large nonresidential customers with 2,000 kilowatts of demand and using 720,000 kilowatt-hours will pay $1,680 more.