Appalachian Power and Century Aluminum will not get a rate reconsideration hearing.
The Public Service Commission Friday denied the request for a hearing regarding two alternative special rate plans which were different from a plan previously approved by Commission Order back on October 4.
Century proposed a Special Rate for electricity from Appalachian Power Company in October that would have allowed the company to reopen it’s Ravenswood plant, but the PSC denied that proposal.
The PSC came back with another proposal that would have established a Special Rate Mechanism that satisfied the policy goals of the Legislature, addressed the concerns of Century regarding the reopening of its Ravenswood smelter, and balanced the interests of AP, AP’s present and future customers and the State’s economy.
Century denied that request from the PSC and proposed the two alternative rate plans which the Commission denied Friday.
In Friday’s order, the Commission did not adopt Century’s “Immediate Restart Modification” which they determined to be fatally flawed because it would impose an unreasonable burden on ratepayers.
Nor did the Commission accept the proposed “Future Restart Modification” for several reasons, including its failure to account for changes in electric rates and its inability to provide funds to offset periods of low utility rate payments during down times in the aluminum market.
Century still has the option of reopening it’s Ravenswood plant if it can work out an agreement with other parties for a more acceptable special rate mechanism. If the company fails to reach an agreement, it can still file another complaint with the Commission and present another proposal.
From Friday’s order, the October 4 order stands and the case is now final.