Wrangell Sentinel -

Up to 82,000 rural Alaskans will see lower electric bills because of legislation signed into law last month.

Senate Bill 243, passed by the Legislature this spring, raises the maximum subsidy under the state’s Power Cost Equalization program, which reduces the cost of electricity in rural Alaska. Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed the measure into law on July 14.

The bill, authored by Bethel Sen. Lyman Hoffman, increases the maximum available subsidy from 500 kilowatt-hours per month to 750 kilowatt-hours per month. The average Alaska home consumes 552 kilowatt-hours per month, according to figure...