Utility Service Board Approves Agreeement with Next Era

The Logansport Utility Service Board approved a five-year, five-month purchased power agreement with Next Era, a Florida-based utility. The agreement will succeed the existing Duke Energy agreement. The agreement means electric rates will go down no later than Jan. 1, 2019. The vote to approve the contract was 4-1 with only Mike Laird voting against. Laird voiced a concern that a better agreement may be available if the process included a new request for proposals. Mayor Dave Kitchell said he agreed with Laird’s assessment that better power agreements that may be available if the board can renegotiate the existing Duke contract and that he will continue to ask the board for a renegotiated purchase agreement that will absorb the remaining two years of the Duke agreement.