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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria is formally challenging a series of proposed utility rate increases before Virginia regulators, Mayor Alyia Gaskins said, including a water-rate request that has drawn coordinated opposition from three localities and faces a public comment deadline next week.
In a video posted to social media Thursday, Gaskins said the city is participating in four cases before the State Corporation Commission, the state agency that regulates utilities, with the goal of keeping any rate increases "as low as possible." She named the Virginia American Water rate case, the Washington Gas rate case, and two Dominion Energy cases involving demand-side management and net energy metering.
"Our goal in each of these cases is to ensure that any rate increase is as low as possible and does not have adverse impacts on our community," Gaskins said.
The most consequential for Alexandria water customers is the Virginia American Water case. The company, which filed its request with the commission in November, is seeking new rates tied to more than $115 million in water and wastewater system investments. The company says the request reflects an annual revenue increase of about $21.9 million; for an average residential customer using 4,000 gallons a month, water and wastewater bills would rise about $11 a month. Officials in Hopewell and Prince George County, which are also affected, have described the request as a nearly 30% increase in average bills. Gaskins said the proposal amounts to an increase of more than 25% for Alexandrians and would represent a more than 260% rise in city water rates since 2022.
Virginia American Water has characterized the filing as necessary to replace aging infrastructure and maintain reliable service. "Our commitment to long-term investments in our water and wastewater systems helps ensure we continue to deliver high-quality service across the commonwealth," company President Laura Runkle said in a statement when the request was filed. Interim rates based on the proposal took effect around May 1, with any difference between interim and final approved rates subject to refund once the commission rules. It is the company's fourth major rate-increase request in eight years.
Alexandria has not merely commented on the case but formally intervened in it, in a coordinated effort with Prince George County and the city of Hopewell, giving the localities standing to contest the request as parties to the proceeding. Hopewell officials have called the increase "not just or reasonable." The commission, which determines whether proposed rates are "just and reasonable," will decide the case after reviewing evidence from the company, its own staff, the state's consumer counsel and the intervening parties.
Gaskins said the city is partnering with other jurisdictions in several of the cases "to make sure that the impacts these rate increases do not have negative impacts on not just Alexandrians but many across the commonwealth." She framed the effort as part of the city's response to economic pressure on residents. "We recognize that in these economic times and these times of great uncertainty and unemployment, any increase is really hard for our families and our community right now," she said, adding that the city would provide updates as the cases proceed.
The mayor did not detail the city's positions in the Washington Gas and Dominion Energy cases.
How to weigh in by June 3
Residents can comment on the Virginia American Water case, designated PUR-2025-00185, ahead of a June 10 public hearing in Richmond. All comments must reference the case number. There are three ways to participate:
Online or by mail: Submit written comments through the State Corporation Commission's website, or mail them to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, VA 23218-2118.
At the hearing: To speak at the June 10 hearing — in person in Richmond or by phone — register no later than June 3 by calling the commission at 804-371-9141 or through its website.
