South Carolina regulators slap down Duke Energy rate increase, call executives 'tone deaf'

[TexasTowelie]

State utility regulators on Wednesday reduced a proposed rate increase that would have affected 591,000 Duke Energy customers in the Upstate, and called executives of the energy company "tone deaf" for the proposal.

Duke Energy requested last year to increase its Residential Basic Facilities Rate charge from $8.29 to $28, a spike that annually would've resulted in $236.52 more per customer in energy costs.The company later agreed to lower the charge to either $11.70 or $13.09.

The Public Service Commission is expected to announce a final decision on the rate increase in coming weeks.

A directive, written by Commissioner Thomas Ervin, who represents the Upstate, cut the planned rate increase, reduced the rate of return Duke Energy could collect in the future and reduced what the company could charge customers for coal ash cleanup in North Carolina. The directive further called out Duke Energy leaders for the proposal.

Read more: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2019/05/02/sc-regulators-slap-down-duke-energy-rate-increase-call-executives-tone-deaf/3652767002/

[gtar100]

1. Reason number 4,642 why public utilities should have remained in the public domain.

As if the awesome powers of the universe created the world and all of life just so a select bunch of selfish assholes could get rich as they demand our labor so they themselves don't have to actually work for a living. Instead of trying to gouge each other for dollars, why not make it possible to live in this world with the basic necessities easily obtained and as inexpensive as possible. Utilities such as energy, water, sewer, communications, housing, food and clothing - imagine a living wage as the baseline. Imagine what possibilities this could open up for you. We might actually choose to improve our world instead fight over the scraps tossed to us by the rich.