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Show 38 Boost asked for Federal Power especially senior citizens and the low income." The Energy Advocacy Project is sponsored by the Utah Community Action Association for the purpose of representing lower income in-come persons on energy cost issues. "We need to scrutinize the federal application very closely to guarantee that any increase is justified. THe major utilities nave never requested an increase this massive . We don't know why the federal government needs so much money all at once," Mitchell says. A public hearing on the federal rate increase is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26 at the Little America Hotel, 500 South Main, Salt Lake City beginning at 9.00 .'.a.m. Application for a 38 percent per-cent boost in federal power sold to municipal electric companies and Rural Electric Association (REA) will have a significant, if unknown impact on consumers con-sumers the Utah State Energy Advocacy Project reports. Cynthia Mitchell, project coordinator, says that all of the cities and towns in Utah purchasing power generated by the Colorado "River Storage Project will be affected by the rate hike sought by federal authorities. If accepted the increase could hike rates for residential users from three to ten percent depending upon where they live and commercial and industrial rates could go even higher she reports. "Hydro-electric power generated from the Colorado River sold by the federal government is a real bargain for those who can get it," Mitchell says, "but any boost in energy prices is going to hurt consumers. |