{
  "story": {
    "slug": "mea-power-bills-fall-5-32-a-month-starting-oct-1-as-fuel-charge-drops-8-4",
    "headline": "MEA power bills fall $5.32 a month starting Oct. 1 as fuel charge drops 8.4%",
    "deck": "MEA's Cost of Power Adjustment falls from 10.195 to 9.34 cents per kWh, cutting a typical Mat-Su member's bill from $171.38 to $166.06.",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/mea-power-bills-fall-5-32-a-month-starting-oct-1-as-fuel-charge-drops-8-4",
    "section": "Energy",
    "area": "Mat-Su",
    "published_at": "2026-11-04T03:40:50.013974+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-11-04T03:40:50.013974+00:00",
    "body_md": "Matanuska Electric Association (MEA) members started paying less for power on Oct. 1, 2026, after the co-op's Cost of Power Adjustment fell from 10.195 cents to 9.34 cents per kilowatt-hour, an 8.4 percent cut, according to a member notice filed with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.\n\nA typical residential member who uses 623 kilowatt-hours a month will pay about $5.32 less, dropping the monthly bill from roughly $171.38 to $166.06, about $64 a year back for a Palmer or Wasilla household at the same usage level.\n\nThe change is entirely in the Cost of Power Adjustment line, which covers fuel and the electricity MEA buys from other utilities and is passed through to members without markup. Base rates, which fund operating, maintaining and improving the distribution system, are not changing for the fourth quarter.\n\nMEA attributes the decrease to lower costs for purchased electricity and a smaller true-up for past power supply expenses, though the co-op says higher expected fuel and transportation costs during the colder months will partially offset the savings.\n\nCost of Power Adjustment rates reset every quarter and are filed with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska for review and approval. The next adjustment takes effect at the start of the first quarter of 2027.\n\nThe Matanuska-Susitna Borough has a certified population of 117,412 and 51,170 housing units, according to the DCRA Community Database Online, meaning the rate change touches tens of thousands of meters across the Valley.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.mea.coop/news/members-see-overall-rate-decrease-for-fourth-quarter-2026",
        "label": "Matanuska Electric Association — Members see Overall Rate Decrease for Fourth Quarter 2026 (member notice, updated Oct. 1, 2026)"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fb0ad9934bc7925eff9ad65/6abd8526645c62cd14d066a6_4Q%2020206%20Rate%20Sheet.pdf",
        "label": "Matanuska Electric Association — 4Q 2026 Rate Sheet (PDF)"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.mea.coop/news/understanding-winter-energy-watch-and-rolling-service-interruptions",
        "label": "Matanuska Electric Association — Understanding Winter Energy Watch and Rolling Service Interruptions"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.mea.coop/news/mea-seeking-new-power-supply-opportunities",
        "label": "Matanuska Electric Association — MEA Seeking New Power Supply Opportunities"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://maps.commerce.alaska.gov/server/rest/services/Base_Data/CDO_MasterQuery/MapServer/0/query?where=CommunityName%3D'Matanuska-Susitna%20Borough'&outFields=*&returnGeometry=false&f=json",
        "label": "DCRA Community Database Online, Matanuska-Susitna Borough"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://maps.commerce.alaska.gov/server/rest/services/Base_Data/CDO_MasterQuery/MapServer/0/query?where=CommunityName%3D'Palmer'&outFields=*&returnGeometry=false&f=json",
        "label": "DCRA Community Database Online, Palmer"
      },
      {
        "url": "https://maps.commerce.alaska.gov/server/rest/services/Base_Data/CDO_MasterQuery/MapServer/0/query?where=CommunityName%3D'Wasilla'&outFields=*&returnGeometry=false&f=json",
        "label": "DCRA Community Database Online, Wasilla"
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  },
  "envelope": {
    "story_id": "85e5f9cd-33aa-44a0-9faf-a98351d12e95",
    "slug": "mea-power-bills-fall-5-32-a-month-starting-oct-1-as-fuel-charge-drops-8-4",
    "summary": "Matanuska Electric Association's Cost of Power Adjustment fell 8.4 percent, from 10.195 to 9.34 cents per kilowatt-hour, effective Oct. 1, 2026, cutting a typical 623-kWh bill from about $171.38 to $166.06. Base rates are unchanged. The next adjustment is filed with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska for early 2027.",
    "key_facts": [
      "MEA's Cost of Power Adjustment dropped from 10.195 cents to 9.34 cents per kilowatt-hour on Oct. 1, 2026, an 8.4 percent cut.",
      "A typical 623-kWh monthly bill falls from about $171.38 to $166.06, a $5.32 decrease.",
      "Base rates are unchanged for the fourth quarter; the cut is entirely in the fuel and purchased-power line.",
      "The next COPA adjustment takes effect at the start of the first quarter of 2027, filed with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.",
      "The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has a certified population of 117,412 and 51,170 housing units, per the DCRA Community Database Online."
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "a": "A typical 623-kilowatt-hour household sees its bill fall from about $171.38 to $166.06, a $5.32 monthly cut starting Oct. 1.",
        "q": "How much are MEA bills dropping?"
      },
      {
        "a": "MEA says cheaper electricity it buys from other utilities and a smaller true-up for past power costs pulled the Cost of Power Adjustment down 8.4 percent.",
        "q": "Why did MEA's rate go down?"
      },
      {
        "a": "No, base rates that pay for the distribution system stay flat this quarter, the entire change is in the fuel and purchased-power line.",
        "q": "Are MEA's base rates changing too?"
      },
      {
        "a": "The next Cost of Power Adjustment takes effect at the start of the first quarter of 2027, filed again with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska for review.",
        "q": "When is MEA's next rate adjustment?"
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "claim": "MEA's Cost of Power Adjustment fell from 10.195 cents to 9.34 cents per kilowatt-hour, an 8.4 percent cut, effective Oct. 1, 2026.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.mea.coop/news/members-see-overall-rate-decrease-for-fourth-quarter-2026",
        "source_label": "Matanuska Electric Association — Members see Overall Rate Decrease for Fourth Quarter 2026"
      },
      {
        "claim": "A typical 623-kilowatt-hour household bill drops from about $171.38 to $166.06.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.mea.coop/news/members-see-overall-rate-decrease-for-fourth-quarter-2026",
        "source_label": "Matanuska Electric Association — Members see Overall Rate Decrease for Fourth Quarter 2026"
      },
      {
        "claim": "The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has a certified population of 117,412 and 51,170 housing units.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://maps.commerce.alaska.gov/server/rest/services/Base_Data/CDO_MasterQuery/MapServer/0/query?where=CommunityName%3D'Matanuska-Susitna%20Borough'&outFields=*&returnGeometry=false&f=json",
        "source_label": "DCRA Community Database Online, Matanuska-Susitna Borough"
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    "people": [],
    "organizations": [
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    "event_dates": [
      {
        "date": "2026-10-01",
        "label": "New COPA rate takes effect"
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      {
        "date": "2027-01",
        "label": "Next COPA adjustment takes effect"
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    "disclosure": "Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed and reviewed by a person before publishing.",
    "generated_at": "2026-10-03T05:59:11.041+00:00",
    "reviewed_at": null,
    "updated_at": "2026-10-03T05:59:11.094044+00:00"
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