On Tuesday, June 17, West Virginians from the entire state will take action in response to Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power’s Proposed base speed increase and drastic cutbacks on compensation on the roof. Residents gather during a meeting outside the Public Service Commission (PSC) in Charleston and during a community streaming and speaking event in the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling to resist the tariff rise and access to access to solar and energy freedom.
AEP’s proposal would significantly increase the electricity accounts for all customers – residential, commercial and industrial – despite the fact that West -Virginians already pay some of the highest electricity prices in the region. The rates have more than doubled in the last 15 years and if this proposal has been approved, bills can increase with more than $ 23 per month for typical households.
“It is a highest care for Ratepayers for us Monopoly -Nut, Appalachian Power, to do more to reduce accounts for everyday West -Virginians,” said Emmett Pepper, policy director for energy -efficient West Virginia. “The hearing of 17 June for the West Virginia Public Service Commission offers a crucial opportunity for those of us who do not have expensive lobbyists to speak and insist on an energy seeker that encourages what is cost -effective.”
The plan also focuses on the sun on the roof by reducing the network credit that customers receive for surplus energy that they produce it with almost two-thirds. This change would make it much less affordable for families to install solar panels, to undermine the independence of energy and access to clean, renewable force.
“This proposal from AEP is a direct threat to access to solar energy in West Virginia,” said Leah Turgeon, director of the state of West Virginia for Solar United Neighbours. “If the Public Service Commission allows these changes to continue, it will take the door for energy choice and harm every family that tries to lower their bills and generate their own clean energy. We have to encourage solar and innovation, not punish people for investing in the future.”
Currently, customers with solar energy receive a reasonable credit for all surplus energy that produces their systems. Now AEP is asking the Public Service Commission to approve a dramatic reduction in this fair crediting rate. In addition, the AEP proposal required unworkable timelines; Customers who wanted to avoid the credit reductions that were needed to have the interconnection paperwork for their solar energy systems submitted before December 31, 2024 with projects that have given a ‘completion certificate’ by the utility before April 30, 2025. Everything that later than that, and customers would be stuck with the dramatically lower network percentage.
“By asking that new rates are being returned, AEP literally tried to strip hundreds of West -Virginians from their net measurement before the PSC even made a decision in the case,” said Conant, CEO of Solar Holler. “The worst thing is that this is another example of AEP who places a business profit in people in the field of people and treats solar generators as second-class customers.”
News item from Solar United Neighbours
