CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango says Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power’s newest proposed $265 million rate increase is just another hike they have been trying to slip past customers for a while now.
The Kanawha County Commission has been adamantly opposed of the new proposal from the power companies, who recently filed a request for it with the state Public Service Commission to review.
Salango said on 580 Live with Dave Allen Tuesday that while Appalachian Power claims they haven’t asked for a base rate increase since 2018, they have been asking for multiple other increases within that time. He said it isn’t fair to customers.
“They always ask for a lot more than they need thinking that the PSC will kind of meet them in the middle and it’s just unaffordable,” Salango said.
Ben Salango
The company seeks a 15.4% increase for their base rate for power, which would raise the average bill for residents by $28.72 a month if the PSC approves it.
Salango said just recently the utilities was approved a $37 million increase. The company was also granted a recent $88 million fuel case that raised rates by 5% last fall.
He said he has noticed that the rates in West Virginia are going up a lot faster than in other states.
“One of the articles I had read this morning said that ours’s have gone up second fastest in the nation, only one other state was being increased more than us, and of course the parent company, AEP, has reported $25 billion in profit over the last 24 months, so it’s not like they’re hurting for money,” he said.
After releasing a statement on the issue Monday, Salango said the commission will continue to oppose the increase and will keep holding Appalachian Power accountable.
Salango said they plan to either provide a written testimony or appear in-person before the company and the PSC at the upcoming public hearing to express their opposition. He encourages the public to voice their opinions regarding the matter as well to help put a stop to the move.
“That’s what we need to do, we got to stand up and fight these utility increases, because it’s just adding up, over and over and over, and they can come up with creative ways to call it whatever, even if it’s not a base rate increase it’s a fuel surge charge or it’s an environmental increase,” he said.
The Kanawha County Commission aren’t the only ones opposing the move from Appalachian Power, however.
Emmett Pepper with advocacy group Energy Efficient West Virginia is also speaking out against it. He said the request is alarming.
“We’re very concerned about the impact of this for rate payers,” Pepper said.
However, Appalachian Power President and Chief Operating Officer Aaron Walker said its an attempt for the company to try and mitigate current economy impacts such as inflation and rising interest rates.
“As we navigate the challenges of increasing energy costs, we are committed to providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity,” Walker said. “We fully recognize the financial impact of rate increases on our customers and pledge to begin working immediately with stakeholders for solutions to mitigate the impact.”
The PSC has 300 days to make a decision on the request. They have an evidentiary and public comment hearing set for Monday, August 12.