Matanuska Electric Association says members should expect a temporary increase in electricity bills this quarter due to higher fuel costs. The utility’s base rates remain unchanged.

MEA Chief Strategy Officer Julie Estey explains that the increase comes from the Cost of Power Adjustment, or COPA. This portion of our bills reflects the cost of fuel and purchased power. These costs are passed on to members.

MEA does not profit from this increase as a member-owned cooperative. The Regulatory Commission of Alaska reviews these costs each quarter to make sure that members pay the actual cost of producing electricity.

The adjustment adds about $15 per month for the average residential customer. Several factors contributed to the increase. An unusually cold spring required more natural gas than expected. MEA has a seasonal shift to more expensive purchased power from its share of lower-cost Eklutna hydropower. It has new costs associated with storing natural gas for future reliability.

MEA expects the COPA charge to decline in the fourth quarter if fuel costs and usage return to projected levels.

Estey says the Alaska electricity industry faces the challenge of securing reliable natural gas supplies in the future. About 85 percent of MEA electricity depends on natural gas.

This makes the utility vulnerable to rising fuel prices. MEA is working to secure dependable short-term gas supplies. It is also pursuing a long-term strategy to diversify its energy sources over the next five to ten years.

Unlike many Alaska utilities, MEA continues to see growth. Electricity demand in the Mat-Su Valley increases about one to two percent annually.

Several factors contribute to this growth. The average household is using more electricity than previous years. Population growth, electric vehicles, new appliances, and increased use of electronic devices all contribute to higher demand.

Additional industrial customers, including military facilities, resource development, and even potential data centers, could further increase electricity use. On the plus side, this will spread fixed system costs across more customers.

Estey noted that although Alaska’s electric rates are viewed as high, MEA’s base rates remain among the lowest in the Railbelt system.

Alaska is not alone in facing increasing energy prices. Rising fuel costs are affecting utilities nationwide.

Estey touched on long-term energy options. These include a North Slope natural gas pipeline; importing liquefied natural gas; expanding hydropower, wind, nuclear energy; and transmitting electricity from power plants built on the North Slope. While each option has potential, Estey emphasized that they require significant investments and years of development.

Focus on energy efficiency if you want to reduce your electric bill. Estey says the cheapest energy is “the energy you don’t use.” Simple improvements such as LED lighting, home energy audits, and efficient appliances make a difference. Homeowners with solar panels offset their electricity use and sell excess power back to MEA.

Estey invites members to attend “Tap Room Tuesdays with Tony.” MEA CEO Tony Izzo will answer questions about electric rates, natural gas supplies, and MEA’s plans for Alaska’s energy future at these community meetings.

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly meets tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in the Assembly Chambers.

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Mike Chmielewski reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.

That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Monday July 20, 2026.

Image credit: MEA

This week, Rachel and John take a break from their usual format and bring you interviews with Alaskans attending the Mat-Su Pride festival. Listen to hear how changes in federal policies are affecting people in our community.

Join host Mike Chmielewski and his guest Julie Estey, Chief Strategy Officer for the Matanuska Electric Association, as they discuss rate increases and MEA’s stake in the possible gas pipeline.

Julie Estey of MEA

Image Credit: David McChesney/Frontiersman

Holly Marie Gittlein is an award-winning artist, ocean researcher, and author whose work explores the intersection of science, ecology, and human perception.

Image Credits: Amazon.com

Corina Deiters

image credit: Goodreads.com

Everything is new with the tags still on and still in the box. The zippers work. It’s Stuff the Bus.

This annual event from United Way Mat-Su gives brand-new backpacks and school supplies to Mat-Su students. All for free.

Stuff the Bus is at Amazing Grace Academy on Inner Springer Loop in Palmer on Tuesday, July 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

United Way Mat-Su Development and Outreach Director Michele Harmeling has run Stuff the Bus for nine years.

Harmeling notes that this is the first time some kids have owned something that wasn’t a hand-me-down. The excitement, she said, can be felt the minute the doors open.

“They’re just floored,” she said, “when they see a brand-new backpack still in a package.”

Advance registration is required this year. Families can register online at UnitedWayMatsu.org/matsustuffthebus or through the United Way Mat-Su event page on Facebook.

Backpacks and supplies are limited to K-12 students registered in Mat-Su School District neighborhood and charter schools. Families must show proof of enrollment for each student.

Homeschool families are not eligible for backpacks or supplies. They are welcome to participate in the resources and activities. Harmeling said homeschool families should ask their advisors or homeschool hub about their allotment.

About 750 students participated last year. Harmeling has seen as many as 1,500 students in other years. She expects between 500-700 students this year.

The day feels like a neighborhood school open house according to Harmeling. Each kid picks a backpack. Then they walk table to table filling it with supplies.

Thrive Mat-Su and Youth360 volunteers provide a playground and games. Kids Kupboard provides a hot dog lunch.

About 15 nonprofits and agencies offer everything from haircuts to after-school programs. Public Health is on hand. The Palmer Lions Club offers vision screenings.

A supply list is built from the classroom lists from across the district in elementary and secondary schools. These supplies are on hand for the students.

They would cost a family about $80 for an elementary student, and over $110 for the older students if purchased at Fred Meyer.

For a family with three kids, that’s about $300. That’s before anything else. Before shoes. Before student activity fees.

Harmeling said the need isn’t new. But costs today make it harder. What counted as financially stable a few years ago often doesn’t count anymore.

The cost of living in the Mat-Su Borough runs 11 percent above the national average, according to BestPlaces.net. Our families are feeling that gap more each year.

Harmeling said by helping cover the cost of school supplies, United Way Mat-Su frees up money families can spend on things like groceries or gas.

Parents have told Harmeling that they couldn’t afford the supplies on their own. Stuff the Bus made the difference.

Parents also say that the best part is the free day at a school carnival with their kids.

Stuff the Bus has become less about the items, and more about joy and community.

Because a backpack, Harmeling said, is never just a backpack.

Registration is open now at UnitedWayMatsu.org/matsustuffthebus or on the United Way Mat-Su Facebook event page.

Volunteers are still needed. To register as a volunteer, visit unitedwaymatsu.org/matsustuffthebus.

Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.

Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.

Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.

Emily Forstner reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.

That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Friday July 17, 2026.

Image provided by United Way Mat-Su Stuff the Bus Facebook Event Page.

Jim Cooper, Mayor of Palmer

Photo credit: City of Palmer

Image Credit: Palmer Museum of History and Art