SCE&G Files for 9.5% Rate Hike

[Captain Worley]

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=82944#comments



COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. is asking for a 9.5 percent increase in retail electric rates.

The Columbia company said Friday it's asking the state Public Service Commission to approve the increase primarily to recover the cost of complying with government environmental regulations.

SCE&G president Kevin Marsh says it's the utility's first general increase since 2007. Marsh says he's asking that the increase be divided into three phases of about 3 percent each, over 18 months, to ease the impact on customers.

The company says if regulators agree, the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity would see a monthly increase of $3.91 in July, $3.77 in January, 2011 and an additional $4.01 in July 2011.
The PSC is expected to hold hearings on the request in the spring.


I'm sure SCE&G can count on a yes vote from the PSC.

[swampfox]

The PSC does not matter so much as does the ORS (Office of Regulatory Services[?]). Director Dukes Scott will make sure that SCE&G gets whatever the heck they want. Most of his staff..., well, you look it up.

One of the dirtiest chapters in SC's dirty history.

[cuebald]

So what happens if the PSC miraculously denies the increase?

No half-million dollar salary for the boss? No big bonuses?

Surely there are ramifications.

Let'a bring it home - has your income increased 9.5% since 2007? Why should theirs?

[BAD HaBiT]

This really hits hard for me.
For 2 months in a row we had a bill of just under 200.00 then last month it hit 400.00
I know there are things that could be done on my end to conserve but to me I think they are already making enough. After 1000 Kw the price is crazy. And their isnt a darn thing I can do about it other that trying to conserve and maybe some better sealing.

I will say we faired pretty good through the summer since I had the metal roof installed in the spring. It seemed to have helped in the cooling costs.

[Cliff]

If people conserve too much they don't make enough and have to raise the rates.

[swampfox]

If you can, look up and see from where ORS director Dukes Scott hired most of his professional staff. That will clear up some mysteries for you.

[Captain Worley]

This increase is largely due to scrubber requirements for the Clear Skies act. It has a large reduction in sulphur and mercury. Now CFLs release more mercury than power plants do.

[Sarge]

If you can, look up and see from where ORS director Dukes Scott hired most of his professional staff. That will clear up some mysteries for you.

Also remember that ORS has no decision making authority, they serve at the direction of the PSC, who, all of which(I am speaking of Commissioners) are political appointees. One nice little cozy arrangment for the utility companies and other industries who are subject to the PSC rules.

God I wish we had some investigative reporters in this state or better yet some media outlets who will allow the ones we have to report.

[Captain Worley]

And if they ever pass cap and trade, it is going to be a rate hike a lot bigger than this to meet the emissions requirements.

[BAD HaBiT]

F#%* SCE&G!!

Power bill this month $460.00 Up over $200.00 from last month!!!

[Cliff]

OW!
Did you check the system?

[swampfox]

Sarge, in reality it doesn't work that way. The ORS was created after the PSC was caught in a variety of illegal and unethical activity. The practical functions of the two are the reverse of what's on paper.

[swampfox]

The fact is that there is rarely, if ever, a rate hearing at the PSC since the ORS was created. The reason being that the rate increases are approved by the ORS who make their recommendations to the PSC and the PSC always goes along with it. After all, the commissioners only get $80,000 per year for working just a few hours per month. And there is nobody left in government, since the creation of ORS, to intervene in rate increases on behalf of consumers.

If you look at the following page from the ORS website, and read the resumes of the senior officials involved in approving these rates, the beginning of how this happens may start to become clear.

http://www.regulatorystaff.sc.gov/ORSContent.asp?pageID=704

It would be unusual if SCE&G retirees' retirement accounts were not tied in some way to the current and future profits of SCE&G.

But this should hardly be cause for amazement. It might interest consumers to know that a federal tax was created during the Spanish-American War to pay for construction of telegraph networks. When telephones became the norm, the tax was retained with no apparent jusitfication, and we, every single person who has a non-mobile telephone in the United States, are still paying this telegraph tax for well over a century now. It's listed on your bill as an "excise tax", I believe. It's not much, but wouldn't we all like to have this guaranteed income?

Energy and other utility companies and the government, state, federal, local, whatever, have been in bed together since very early on.

There currently is nobody to officially oppose utility rate increases on behalf of consumers. That was supposed to be what ORS was for, but it never has been.

[swampfox]

But I'm sorry. Many of you folks will stick up for big business every time. I really shouldn't mention the word "Halliburton" or else a lot of you will be begging to be charged more.

[BAD HaBiT]

Were not baiting again are we Swamp?

[swampfox]

Don't bother reading the webpage. It might cause you distress, and that's not what I want.

Those who do want to know, there's lots more where that came from. A search of local media archives, a few FOIA letters, and all will become clear. You want to know what led up to the formation of ORS, how its director was chosen, and how he chose his senior staff, and from where, from the very beginning. Also you can verify how often actual hearings are held in front of the PSC.

Never let facts make you uncomfortable, BH. Always better to call them false.

[Cliff]

I read the webpage, what does Halliburton have to do with it?
And what was 'called false?

[swampfox]

Cliff, part of the far right culture involves always holding the interests of big business above the interests of individuals. SCE&G is one big business that is in bed with government against the best interests of citizens like us. I was giving another example when I mentioned Halliburton.

Calling facts "false" when they make one uncomfortable is yet another habit of political extremists of all kinds. It has just been more conspicuous with the far right in recent times.

By all means, ask if something is unclear. I don't mind.

[BAD HaBiT]

Cliff, part of the far right culture involves always holding the interests of big business above the interests of individuals. SCE&G is one big business that is in bed with government against the best interests of citizens like us. I was giving another example when I mentioned Halliburton.

Calling facts "false" when they make one uncomfortable is yet another habit of political extremists of all kinds. It has just been more conspicuous with the far right in recent times.

By all means, ask if something is unclear. I don't mind.

Your starting to sound like Charlie Browns teacher.. Whaa whhaaaaa whaa whaaa whaaaaaaa whhaaa,,

And your assumptions are way off.

[Cliff]

Calling facts "false" when they make one uncomfortable is yet another habit of political extremists of all kinds.

Well, I have seen that a lot.


By all means, ask if something is unclear. I don't mind.
Thanks.

[swampfox]

Your starting to sound like Charlie Browns teacher.. Whaa whhaaaaa whaa whaaa whaaaaaaa whhaaa,,

And your assumptions are way off.

I rest my case.

[Sarge]

Sarge, in reality it doesn't work that way. The ORS was created after the PSC was caught in a variety of illegal and unethical activity. The practical functions of the two are the reverse of what's on paper.

Given that I practice in that arena and attend the Commissioners meetings almost every wednesday, and follow the processes of regulation as they flow through the system, I am pretty sure I do know how it works.

[Sarge]

One thing I forgot and may have been in error on was ORS authority, they do have authority to investigate and if you will police, the various agencies that fall under their gaze as dictated by SC Statutes and Regulations. But any decision they make can and often times is overruled by the PSC

[swampfox]

Something's seriously wrong with this picture. Will investigate.

When I used to attend PSC hearings most of the commissioners were sleeping through the whole thing. The attorneys actually had to wake them up if there was an objection, explain everything that had led up to the objection, after which they would rule seemingly at random.

I know firsthand that the reason the ORS was created was to take authority away from the PSC after they were caught in highly illegal collusion with big utility companies. And now the PSC is over-ruling the ORS? When did this start?

And the ORS was never intended to have authority over any other agency. Its stated purpose was to regulate utilities. We may be talking about two different things.

Let me get back to you.

[Sarge]

PSC and ORS now have oversight not only over utilities but also the transportation industry in the state which includes vehicles for hire, hauling passengers and freight. They also to a certain degree regulate non emergency medical transportation.

[Captain Worley]

From what I've read, Swamp, Sarge is correct on this issue.

Oh, and the excise tax thing for the telephones was stopped a few years back. Remember the 40 dollar credit on your income tax? That was a repayment of sorts.

[Captain Worley]

And again, they ask for mo money!!!!

http://www.thestate.com/2010/10/26/1530263/south-carolina-electric-gas-wants.html#disqus_thread

Hey, they don't run the buses anymore, so why do they still have a monopoly on power here?

[RPWeed]

I am so thankful to be part of an electric co-op.

[JDidGirl]

Wow... I'm right there with RPW. Since we moved out of Columbia and into Lexington County our electric bill (through Mid-Carolina) is so much cheaper. Also, and I'm sure this has more to do with buried powerlines than anything, but we've not experienced nearly as many power outages.