PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Network)

Electric bills are going up for NorthWestern Energy customers in South Dakota. The state’s Public Utilities Commission has approved a small monthly rate hike to help pay for two new gas power plants in Aberdeen. It’s also going toward research into possible future nuclear energy. The average residential customer will see an increase of just over two dollars a month. Most of that covers the new gas plants, but a few cents are going toward studying small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs. NorthWestern says it hasn’t decided whether to build one in South Dakota, but it’s laying the groundwork. Commissioners say they’ll keep a close eye on spending and emphasize that this isn’t a blank check.