Don’t let government regulators raise your rates
Government regulators are being asked to put West Virginia families on the hook for yet another expensive power plant we don’t need. Earlier this month, a coal industry advocate, testifying on behalf of the Public Service Commission’s consumer advocate, recommended that Mon Power buy the Pleasants Power Plant. Other coal industry advocates are asking to commit to a long-term contract from the Longview Power Plant. Both are bad deals for West Virginia families.
Mon Power buying Pleasants or committing to Longview means higher rates for us
Mon Power receives a guaranteed rate of return as part of its government-granted monopoly. This means if it buys the Pleasants plant or commits to buying power from Longview long-term, it can raise electric rates to cover the cost. That puts us – Mon Power and Potomac Edison customers – on the hook.
Buying Pleasants or committing to longview would bail out an out-of-state company
Out-of-state companies owns and operates Pleasants and Longview respectively as “merchant” plants. This means they have to compete in the wholesale energy market. They don’t receive a guaranteed return. They are unprofitable.
If Mon Power were allowed to buy the Pleasants, the plant’s costs and liabilities would shift onto ratepayers. The proposed contract for Longview allows them to pass on extra costs, too. That means we’d pay more each month.
These are a bad deals for West Virginia families
Mon Power doesn’t need Pleasants or Longview to provide reliable electric service. If the PSC requires us to pay for these power plants, we will be saddled with unnecessary costs for many years. Further, we’ll be robbed of the freedom to choose where our energy comes from and use free market sources of electricity.
Make your voice heard! Tell the PSC to Say NO to higher energy bills!
File a public comment urging the Public Service Commission to:
Reject these proposals to force us to pay for the Pleasants and Longview power plants.
Help us get cleaner, cheaper resources, like solar and efficiency. This will allow us to diversify our economy and broaden West Virginia’s economic base.
Use the free market to buy less expensive electricity. This will keep us from subsidizing pricey, noncompetitive power plants owned by out-of-state corporations and private equity firms.