Fw: D.C. PSC approves Pepco rip-off

[Shelagh Bocoum]

Hello DC for Solar,

 

I got on this mailing list even though I do not necessarily agree with their point of view.  I don't agree that utility rates should be kept artificially low.  This discourages investment in alternative energies.  At the same time, I don't think Pepco needs this money.  Electricity rates could be increased, and the tax on them increased as well.  The money could be put toward assisting the needy as well as investing in renewable energy sources.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Shelagh Bocoum

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Justice First <in...@justicefirst.org>
To: shelag...@yahoo.com
Sent: Tue, March 2, 2010 4:44:07 PM
Subject: D.C. PSC approves Pepco rip-off

If you are unable to view the message below, click here to view this message on our website. D.C. PSC approves Pepco rip-off This fight is not over! Despite over 2,000 letters to the D.C. Public Service Commission and D.C. Councilmembers vehemently opposing Pepco’s proposal for a $44.5 million rate hike and demanding a 50 percent rollback in rates, the Commission has approved a $19.8 million rate hike. The Commission characterizes this award as “moderate,” citing that the award is less than half of what utility giant Pepco sought. No rate hike is acceptable, not even so-called moderate ones. Our utility rates have doubled in the last five years. The Public Service Commission does not represent the public. It represents Pepco’s millionaire executives. The PSC should be renamed to the “Pepco Service Commission.” Justice First’s campaign against the rate hike and the tireless action taken by Justice First members and supporters like you are the only reasons the PSC did not approve Pepco’s request in whole. Heat and light are a right! This fight is not over. The commission does not get the final word. We do. Stay tuned. Help spread the word: Unsubscribe | Forward to a Friend | Visit our web site Justice First. © 2009 All rights reserved.

[Solar...@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/3/10 6:07:41 AM, shelag...@yahoo.com writes:

I don't agree that utility rates should be kept artificially low.  This discourages investment in alternative energies.  At the same time, I don't think Pepco needs this money.  Electricity rates could be increased, and the tax on them increased as well.  PEpCO rates have incraesec in five years, and increasing energy efficiency, direct use (solar dayighting, solar water and spce heating, ground-coupled heat pumps) woud reduce loads and additionally with on-site distributed generation likely stabilize rates.
Scott Sklar

Scott Sklar
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The Stella Group, Ltd.. is a strategic marketing and policy firm for clean distributed energy users and companies which include advanced batteries and controls, biofuels (biodiesels, butanol, ethanol and cellulosics), energy efficiency and chp, fuel cells, geoexchange, heat engines, minigeneration (natural gas), microhydropower, modular biomass, photovoltaics, small wind, and solar thermal (including daylighting, water heating, industrial preheat, building air-conditioning, and electric power generation), waste heat, and water energy. The Stella Group, Ltd. blends distributed energy technologies, aggregates financing (including leasing), with a focus on system standardization. Scott Sklar, the Group's founder and president, lives in a solar home in Arlington, Virginia and his coauthored book, A Consumer Guide to Solar Energy, was re-released for its third printing, and his coauthored book: ‘The Forbidden Fuel: Power Alcohol in the Twentieth Century which is updated and will be re-released in 2010, and he is a constant commentary and Q&A contributor to the largest clean energy web portal: www.RenewableEnergyWorld.com.



Well, there are different ways to look at this.
I agree electric rates should not be kept artifically low - but in fact what electri utilities do often, is invest in traditional technologies and when fuel prices or operatuions and maintenance incraese (O&M), they just expect to pass it along to consumers.
Many of us say, in fact, the utilities make poor choices, they should absorb the loss, not consumers.