By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON -- A recent jump in electric rates has county legislators looking to state and federal officials for assurance that residents and businesses are not overburdened by the surge in energy costs.

At a Monday services committee-meeting, legislators passed a resolution calling on the state to “ensure that vulnerable residents of St. Lawrence County are not overburdened by increasing electricity costs.”

According to the resolution, demand for electricity and natural gas used to generate electricity has been high due to the extremely cold weather.

“The recent spike in electricity rates are exacerbating an already impoverished county to yet another obstacle in providing for their families and for businesses to remain competitive,” the resolution says.

Electricity prices increased by nearly 50 percent between November and January and have remained high since.

The upstate utility, which supplies electric power to almost all of St. Lawrence County except Massena, froze rates at January levels while working with the public commission to figure out how customers will repay what amounts to a temporary $32 million credit on their bills to cover the spike.

According to a story recently published by North Country Public Radio, electric rates are expected to drop by 40 percent in the next billing cycle as supply costs have fallen.

Legislators will forward the resolution Congressman Bill Owens, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Patty Ritchie, Sen. Joe Griffo, Sen. Elizabeth Little, Assemblywoman Addie Russell, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, Assemblyman Marc Butler, the Public Service Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission.