HONOLULU - Hawaii Rep. Cynthia Thielen is questioning whether the Public Utilities Commission is properly regulating the cost of electricity in the state.
Thielen says she plans to introduce a bill Wednesday to create a task force to examine guaranteed returns for electric utilities.
Thielen says the commission has rarely denied rate increases proposed by Hawaiian Electric Co. She says the utility's rates have consistently gone up, creating hardships for residents.
Thielen says the law guarantees a reasonable rate of return on the utility's rate base but doesn't provide standards for what is reasonable.
