Same thing happened at my co-op except I haven't heard about more increases. I used to pay a $7 monthly connection fee; now it's $30. The fee plus a "MN renewable energy fee" plus taxes dwarf my average 100 kwH/month usage. Using more electricity only incrementally increases the bill thus discouraging any conservation efforts by consumers who are only motivated by bill costs. This is in direct opposition to the propaganda the co-op sends out every month in their government-mandated newsletter, which preaches conservation.
