SPRINGDALE -- Residents opposed to a requested rate increase by Southwestern Electric Power Co. let their disappointment with the proposal be known Thursday during both a hearing of the Arkansas Public Service Commission and a rally before the hearing in Springdale.

The commission conducted the hearing Thursday evening at Northwest Arkansas Community College's Washington County campus in Springdale.

Southwestern Electric Power, or SWEPCO, is owned by Columbus, Ohio-based American Electric Power. SWEPCO has about 130,000 customers in far west and Northwest Arkansas and serves a total of 558,400 customers across its entire service area, which includes parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

SWEPCO submitted a request with the Arkansas Public Service Commission in March to raise residentia

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