CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Appalachian Power Company’s request to increase rates on their customers is much to the dismay of those living in Kanawha County.
The company has put in a request for a rate hike totaling $642 million.
A few dozen residents attended Monday evening’s public hearing hosted by the Public Service Commission at their headquarters in Charleston. Some local and state government officials were also seen including Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper.
The proposed rate hikes from Appalachian Power have been a topic of discussion with Carper and the rest of Kanawha County Commission many times before. They have always been against them.
“We are the only local government that’s fought this,” Carper said. “This is ridiculous, this amount of money, but it’s good to see the public fight.”
Carper expected to see some people fight after what he experienced while out for lunch one day recently in Charleston’s West Side. He said close to 10 people came up to him and asked if he was attending Monday’s public hearing, to which he told them, “yes.”
“This is really important and people are really outraged,” he said.
Nearly a dozen people spoke at the hearing and all of them were on the same page, in opposition of the proposal and asking for the Public Service Commission to take their side too.
Pamela Nixon said she had been retired for over 10 years now. She’s not happy with Appalachian Power nor the Public Service Commission. To her, while prices for her services have gone up, the amount of money the company continues to make also goes up.
“The more money they take, the more money they want, and the Public Service Commission is contributing to their addiction with our money,” said Nixon.
Ronald Garton is a disabled veteran and told the PSC he relies on electronic devices to keep him up and going. He said his power goes out way too frequently and called the rate hike increase proposed “unacceptable.”
Nixon, Garton, and a handful of others who spoke said they have been in the state and the area for much of their lives. Although one lady in particular who spoke has not always lived here. In fact, she has not always lived in the United States.
Caoilainn Norton originally didn’t plan on speaking, but then decided to towards the end of the meeting. Norton hails from Ireland. Her and her husband moved to Colorado and then to West Virginia in the past decade.
“Why isn’t this brought to the voters?” she asked the PSC regarding the decision on the proposed rate hikes.
The PSC is made up of three people. Norton wishes more the decision could be in the hands of the residents.
“I want AEP to ask the people of West Virginia, ‘hey, do you want a rate increase?’
“They wont though,” Norton said. “They won’t do it, because they only want you three people to give them what they want.”
Norton said she has physically been around people recently that can’t afford their utility bills and often have to decide between paying them or paying for food, medicine or other important items.
Communications Director for Appalachian Power Phil Moye sat in on the hearing. He also spoke at its conclusion.
“This case in particular is about fuel and the amount that’s built into rates for fuel just doesn’t match the amount we were paying for fuel and purchase power through 2021 and 2022,” Moye said.
“When you’re burning 7 million tons of coal a year and you’re paying even $5 more a ton for that, it adds up very quickly,” he added.
Public hearings have already been held in Princeton and Huntington on the request by the power company to increase rates. Another public hearing from the Public Service Commission is planned for August 21 in Wheeling.
The PSC will hold an evidentiary hearing in Charleston September 5.