By Caity Coyne, West Virginia Watch
A potential rate increase for nearly 461,000 electric customers in West Virginia that would have, if approved by the state Public Service Commission, gone into effect next month has been postponed until the spring, according to case filings with the PSC.
Mike Tony
Charleston Gazette Mail, August 16, 2024
'We barely make ends meet'
Over two dozen protesters gathered for a Thursday afternoon rally to oppose Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power rate hike moves outside Appalachian Power's downtown Charleston office.
The rally was led by West Virginians for Energy Freedom in partnership with West Virginia Citizen Action Group and People's Action, progressive advocacy organizations, and 350.org, a pro-renewable energy group. West Virginians for Energy Freedom is a coalition of individuals, nonprofit groups and businesses that champions locally owned renewable energy and efficiency technologies.
August 15,2024Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power customers continue to display their opposition against a $265 million rate increase.
Four organizations, West Virginians for Energy Freedom, WV Citizens Action Group, People’s Action Institute and 350 Network Council came together for a ‘Bills Too High Rally’ in front of the AEP Office in Charleston Thursday afternoon to address the increasing power bills.
By Shelby Burrough
Community members came out on Monday to voice their concerns regarding American Electric Power's proposed price hikes at a public hearing.
The proposed rate case at this meeting was regarding AEP asking for $20.4 million to expand its net energy costs beginning Sept. 1.
However, people came out to the meeting today to express their ongoing disapproval of the rate hikes discussed within the past few months.
On Aug. 2, the rate hike proposed would increase residential rates up to 17%, which for most would mean adding $28 to their bill each month.
Wes Holden was among those who attended the meeting to voice his concerns.
"What really has me upset is, for too long West Virginia consumers have felt the boot of AEP on their necks, squeezing out more and more money from us," Holden said.
Holden said he opposes the rate hikes AEP has asked for because his electric bill has grown a large amount in just the past 10 years.
"When you check out the record, billions in profit, the gross billions in profit that they make, why do West Virginia residents have to pay for their mistake?" Holden said.
Read the full article here.
By Curtis Tate for West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Over a 12-month period in 2023 and 2024, Appalachian Power lost $87 million running its Amos, Mountaineer and Mitchell plants, according to written testimony filed to the West Virginia Public Service Commission.
Chelsea Hotaling, an energy consultant working on behalf of Citizen Action Group, Solar United Neighbors and Energy Efficient West Virginia, wrote that the company did this to burn off an excess supply of coal.
Appalachian Power is seeking a fuel cost recovery from the PSC that would add roughly $2 a month to the average electricity customer’s bill.
It’s not clear whether the loss at the three power plants is part of the proposed increase.
Emmett Pepper, policy director for Energy Efficient West Virginia, says Appalachian Power’s customers should not have to bear that cost.
Read the full article or listen to the story here.
By: David Beard, The Dominion Post
Concluding a task force investigation that began in 2022, the state Public Service Commission has ordered the state's four electric utilities to "continue to pursue all reasonable fuel procurement methods and energy efficiency programs that may reduce energy costs for ratepayers."
And they must provide evidence, in future PSC cases that they're doing so.
The PSC issued the order this week, about 10 months after the task force wrapped up its work and PSC staff submitted its final report on the work.
The idea of the task force originated in March 2022, when the West Virginia Coal Association wrote to the PSC saying "traditional coal supply contracting terms offered by the state's utilities were insufficient to allow producers to supply the coal necessary to operate the power plants to the maximum benefit of state ratepayers."
