State regulators have voted to suspend a proposed rate increase for customers of a northern New Mexico electric utility.
The Public Regulation Commission made the decision Wednesday to suspend Kit Carson Electric Cooperative's proposed increase given that more than 100 protests were filed.
According to the commission, the increase would have taken effect Jan. 4 had no protests been filed.
Kit Carson Electric contends about half of the protests don't meet the commission's standards, including many that are signed by people who don't have accounts with the utility.
Under the proposed increase, Kit Carson's average residential customers would see an increase in their monthly bills of nearly 19 percent.
The co-op serves more than 22,000 customers throughout Taos, Colfax and Rio Arriba counties.
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