Friday, July 02, 2010
PSC Says Vegetation Maintenance Affected Decision
KENTUCKY....
Pike County Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford is reeling after American Electric Power announced a profit of $344 million and Kentucky’s Public Service Commission approved a 17 percent rate increase for residential customers at a time when the country is in the worst recession it has seen in decades. He is calling for an elected instead of appointed Kentucky Public Service Commission. The state PSC says Kentucky Power Company’s agreement to spend $10 million on “vegetation maintenance” across 20 eastern Kentucky counties “was a very important factor” in its acceptance of an agreement granting a 12.5 percent rate increase. In a separate ruling, the commission rejected a plan by the American Electric Power subsidiary to buy wind-generated power from out of state to serve its 176,000 customers in 20 Eastern Kentucky counties. Pike Senior Citizens Programs did not agree to the settlement, saying the rate increase would disproportionately affect private residents as opposed to businesses.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:54 PM 
