From our partners at WV Citizen Action Group

PSC Public Hearing THIS Friday at 8AM
on Propping Up Three Outdated
Coal-fired Power Plants

Public Testimony needed (in person or virtual) on the PSC plan to saddle WV rate payers with nearly 500 Million $ in long term costs, to keep 3 uncompetitive coal plants operating until 2040.

See end for details on testifying and a couple really good articles explaining it.

Contact the WV public Service Commission

What’s happening?

The PSC is holding a public hearing this Friday, September 24th at 8 am on the proposal by Wheeling Electric and Appalachian Power Company to keep three aging coal-fired power plants on line past 2028 and potentially until 2040.

Kentucky regulators rejected Wheeling Powers request to invest more money into Mitchell Power Plant. And Virginia regulators rejected APCo’s request to invest more money into John Amos and Mountaineer Power Plant.

Wheeling Power and APCo now want West Virginia ratepayers to pick up the tab for the rate increases rejected by Kentucky and Virginia regulators. West Virginia ratepayers would be investing almost $1/2 billion in these three aging power plants. 

Jamie Van Nostrand’s powerful op-ed piece explains this situation very clearly. See James Van Nostrand: Time for the PSC to protect WV ratepayers (Opinion) | Op-Ed Commentaries | wvgazettemail.com 

Also, WV CAG is mentioned as an intervener along with EEWV and WVSUN in this in-depth article on this big ticket Climate and $ issue.

How you can stop your utility bill from rising?

1a) Contact West Virginia’s Public Service Commission via online form. Tell them you oppose AEP’s request. Urge the commission to follow the lead of regulators from Kentucky and Virginia. Tell them not to benefit a monopoly utility and out-of-state customers at our expense.

1b) Submit written comment, you can send a letter to the Executive Secretary, Public Service Commission, P. O. Box 812, Charleston, WV 25323. Make sure to include Case No. 20-1040-E-CN.

2a) Attend the PSC hearing in-person this Friday. It will be held in the PSC at 201 Brooks Street in Charleston, 25301, at the corner of Brooks and Quarrier. OR…

2b) Testify at public hearing via videoconference. To do so, please email your name, email address and telephone number to Case20-1040@psc.state.wv.us with the subject line “Public Comment Hearing – Case No. 20-1040-E-CN.” 

The hearing will be streamed on the commission’s website at www.psc.state.wv.us. We hope to see you Friday morning. 

Thank you for taking action with West Virginia Citizen Action!