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Lawmaker demands info on basis of new CUC rates
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Posted on May 14 2008
A lawmaker says the new power rates are too high, and wants to know how the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation arrived at them.
The new rate schedule, according to Rep. Heinz Hofschneider, “appears to be on the high side, even with fuel [price] increases.”
In a letter, he asked CUC executive director Antonio Muna for all of the data used to set the new rates, as well as any communications or reports with the Public Utilities Commission related to the rates. He also asked Muna if any of the PUC members was consulted regarding the rate increase, “and if not, why not?”
He said he expects CUC to respond to his request promptly. “As your decision was not done in a vacuum, I am sure that all this information is at your fingertips,” he said.
Power rates doubled after the governor signed into law a bill reversing the October 2007 rollback. From paying 17.6 cents per kWh during the past two months, residential customers will now be charged rates ranging from 37.3 cents to 48.4 cents per kWh.
CUC says the high rates result from the skyrocketing price of fuel to run the power plants.
