By Todd Hatton
Murray, KY – Kentucky's Public Service Commission is holding a hearing next week on surcharge requests made by Kentucky Utilities Co. and Louisville Gas & Electric. The hearing is scheduled for two days, starting Wednesday at 9 a.m. Eastern in Frankfort. Extra days may be added if necessary. Public comments will be taken at the start of the hearing. The utility companies want the PSC to approve spending about $2.5 billion to comply with new federal environmental requirements. These requirements affect utilities that burn coal to generate electricity. The utilities estimate LG&E electric customers would pay an addition 19 percent by 2016, while KU customers' bill would increase by just over 12.2 percent in the same time.