Electricity Rate Hikes Hit Rhode Island Consumers

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Electricity Rate Hikes Hit Rhode Island Consumers

LCG, March 27, 2001—Rhode island was the first state in the nation to embrace electric deregulation and now some of its citizens are wondering if it was such a good idea, according to this morning's edition of the Providence Journal.

During a Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission hearing yesterday on a request by Narragansett Electric Co. for a 3 percent rate increase, consumers who testified were unable to forget four other rate increases in the past year that have caused electric bills to rise 30 percent.

"Do you realize how much you are hurting me and people like me?" Josephine Drake asked officials from Narragansett Electric. "My God, when is this going to end?"

Kate Racine, a member of the PUC, said the commission will decide Thursday whether to grant the rate increase but said it would likely be allowed because it is a fuel adjustment increase and the PUC has no choice. "It's a most difficult this to sit here and know how this impacts people's lives," she said.

It was impacting the life of Margaret Rogers, who testified that she was glad all the rate increases came in little bites. "But you're killing us just the same," she said. "It's getting harder and harder."

Ronal Gerwatowski, Narragansett's attorney, said "It's not easy for … to come here and ask to increase our customers ' bills." He said the utility can no longer control prices, having sold its power plants. He said spot market prices for electricity this summer are already 11 cents a kilowatt-hour, compared with the 6.3 cents a kilowatt-hour under the proposed rate increase. The current rate is 5.9 cents a kilowatt-hour.

http://www.energyonline.com/news/articles/c27-3ri.asp

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), March 27, 2001


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