After a year of debate and unified public opposition, the Public Services Commission on Thursday voted to grant WAPA the base rate increase that it had long sought, which will result in $29,733,687 the authority says will be used to refinance its debt load. The 5.8 cents per kilowatt-hour in the permanent base utility rate, coupled with an “immediate offset” of 3.08 cents when the so-called Leased Generator surcharge paid by WAPA’s customers each month expires, and the additional promise of a future 2.57 cents reduction in the fuel charge, known as the LEAC fee, would mean little change to customers' power bill, both WAPA and Governor Albert Bryan have argued. The base rate increase comes after a year of protests by residents of the Virgin Islands, many of whom have lost trust in the authority's ability to keep its promises. In the past,…