As you may already know, last week the SCC approved a $61.5 million dollar base rate increase for Appalachian Power. Although the SCC also approved a decreased fuel factor rate.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As you may already know, last week the SCC approved a $61.5 million dollar base rate increase for Appalachian Power. Although the SCC also approved a decreased fuel factor rate, if the cost of fuel rises again, and it most assuredly will, this fuel factor decrease will be only temporary in nature.
To read my entire Statement on the SCC Ruling please click here.
Unfortunately area politicians are already trying to spin this ruling:
Southside Delegate Don Merricks said in a public statement that:“Today’s ruling by the State Corporation Commission (SCC) regarding the base rate increase request from Appalachian Power Company (APCo) is good news for the many customers in Southwest and Southern Virginia.� (7-16-2010)
Another rate increase is supposed to be Good News?
Delegate Will Morefield, (Tazewell) told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph: “I represent one of the most economically distressed districts of the Commonwealth, and my constituents are tired of being stepped on by large utility companies ... we will do everything in our power to make sure that our constituents are treated fairly no matter the circumstances. During this time of continued economic uncertainty, we all must make sure that costs are kept as low as possible.� � (7-16-10)
“My thought is they shouldn’t have gotten any increase,� Del. Danny Marshall, (Danville) told the Martinsville Bulletin. (7-16-10)
They may be saying the right words now, but when it came time to take action this past winter, Merricks, Marshall and Morefield joined 71 other members of the House of Delegates and refused to even consider legislation to return the electric utilities to a regulatory system that had kept our rates among the lowest in the nation for decades.
View the Vote here.
This summer, I formed the Electric Utility Regulatory Work Group to investigate current law on how we regulate the electric utilities. The Work Group will be developing legislation to address deficiencies in the law and return a measure of protection to both residential and business consumers. I hope to introduce this legislation either this Fall if the Governor calls a Special Session or in January during the regular legislative Session.
But I need your help.
Your representatives in the General Assembly must know that they can’t just tell the newspapers and their constituents one thing, then go to Richmond and vote against them.
Please contact and tell them that they need to protect our families and our local businesses that are trying to keep and create new jobs; and they must support real regulatory reform of the electric utility industry in Virginia.
Click here to find out who your State Delegate and Senator are and how to contact them.
I hope you will help me in this effort. Together we have the power to fight the Power Company.
