HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Public hearings hosted by the state Public Service Commission resume Thursday on a proposal by Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power companies to increase rates by 17 percent. The hearings allow ratepayers to make their case in opposition to the hike in the cost of power.
“Certainly anytime there’s a proposed rate increase like the one we have before the commission, the commission wants to give people the opportunity to give their opinions, thoughts, and add to the discussion,” said Appalachian Power spokesman Phil Moye.
Moye said this is a base rate increase which hasn’t changed since 2011. Moye said there have been some rate adjustments in which they have gone up and down, but added the base rate has remained largely unchanged.
Part of the request for the 17 percent hike is the cost of doing business, which now includes a regularly scheduled cleaning of rights of way.
“Forty-five million dollars of that is to go toward our new right of way maintenance program,” said Moye.
Moye said the aim of the plan is to cut down on outages in the wake of normal weather activity. He said events like the derecho and Superstorm Sandy will continue to cause outages, but they will lessen the impact if the rights of way are regularly cleared off.
The hearings are slated for Thursday at 1 pm and 6 p.m. at the Cabell County Court House in Huntington. On Nov. 20 the hearings are at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Ohio County Courthouse in Wheeling. They’ll conclude Jan. 12, 2015 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Public Service Commission’s offices in Charleston.
The PSC will make a final decision on then rate case next year. Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power companies are both subsidiaries of American Electric Power Company.