{"id":344,"date":"2012-11-05T12:41:10","date_gmt":"2012-11-05T17:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/11\/georgia-power-raising-rates.html"},"modified":"2012-11-05T12:41:10","modified_gmt":"2012-11-05T17:41:10","slug":"georgia-power-raising-rates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/11\/georgia-power-raising-rates.html","title":{"rendered":"Georgia Power raising rates"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\n<\/a>\nGeorgia Power is raising rates\nin January, despite its recent announcement that it would lower\nrates because of lower fuel bills.\nWhy raising?\nMostly the new nukes and for a new natural gas plant.\nAnd 16% of the rise is for energy efficiency.\nDoes that seem like the right proportion to you?\n<\/p>\n

\nKristi Swartz wrote for the AJC 1 Nov 2012,\n\nGeorgia Power bills to increase<\/a>,\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nThe average Georgia Power bill will increase about 44 cents a month\nstarting in January, not decrease as many might have expected when\nthe company announced last month its fuel costs had dropped.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe utility, which serves 2.4 million customers, notified state\nregulators in October that it would be applying for a residential\nrate reduction because the amount it pays for fuel has fallen 7\npercent, saving $122 million. The utility cannot profit from lower\nfuel costs and must pass those savings on to customers.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nSo why are customer rates going up?\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nAbout $1.05 of the typical residential bill will go toward paying\nfor a new natural gas unit at Plant McDonough-Atkinson in Smyrna.\nThat increase already was approved as part of a three-tiered rate\nhike set in 2010.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nYep, that’s that\n\nset-in-2010 and keep-rising-’till-2013 natural gas\nrate hike<\/a>\nthat Georgia Power got away with while complaining about\nany potential solar subsidies.\nThe one \nAJC complained would be “on autopilot”:<\/a>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\nwhat’s called super-CWIP (Construction Work in Progress)\nbecause there’s no need for anybody to approve it annually.\nSolar already beats gas<\/a> in overall price,\n\nwind was second to gas in 2011 added capacity<\/a>,\nand of course\n\nnatural gas isn’t nearly as clean as claimed:<\/a>\nit is methane, after all, a greenhouse gas worse for climate change than CO2,\nand it does leak.\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nThe second fee hike, about 36 cents, is to pay for Georgia Power’s\nenergy efficiency programs, which are designed to help customers\nsave energy and reduce their electricity bills.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n<\/a>\nHow about\n\nmore of that?<\/a>\nNo, not\n\nthat bogus ALEC-sponsored amendment 2<\/a>.\nReal energy conservation and efficiency,\nwhich\n\nin Georgia could remove any need for additional electricity generation.<\/a>\nAdd\n\nsolar and wind<\/a>\nwe can shut down some more coal plants, some natural gas plants, and all the nukes.\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nThe third increase is 85 cents. It is part of the $1.7 billion in\nfinancing costs that Georgia Power customers have been paying for\ntwo nuclear reactors in Waynesboro. The increase was originally\nprojected to be $2.09, according to documents filed last year with\nthe PSC.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nWe already have\n\nsix Southern Company nukes near us (Hatch 1 & 2,\nFarley 1 & 2, and Vogtle 1 & 2).<\/a>\nDo we really need more at\n\nthose boondoggle prices?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nAnd what didn’t we see listed?\nAnything for solar or wind power.\nThere’s plenty of private capital waiting to fund that, but that’s\n\nWhat Georgia Power is afraid of: GaSU and Dr. Smith; and you<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\nThis is the second time Georgia Power has run this bait and switch this year:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nEarlier this year, Georgia Power cut average monthly residential\nbills $8, also because of decreased fuel costs.\n<\/p>\n

\nBefore that, bills had risen about $14 a month over a two-year\nperiod as Georgia Power sought increases help pay for two new\nnuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle and two natural gas units at Plant\nMcDonough.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nWhich is evidence that the nuke rate hikes are also super-CWIP,\nautopilot stealth tax increases disguised as Georgia Power bill increases.\nMaybe the PSC should wise up and stop letting Georgia Power get away with this!\nOh, wait:\n\n4 of 5 incumbent GA PSC Commissioners accept massive utility campaign contributions<\/a>,\nand the fifth one:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n“Even so, nearly one in five dollars in Echols’ contributions came\nfrom people or companies whose business is affected by PSC\ndecisions, the review found.”\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nThis is part of why\n\n“Georgia has the worst levels of corruption risk and lack of accountability of any state in the country.”<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nYou have an opportunity Tuesday, November 6th<\/sup><\/small>,\nto vote for new Georgia Public Service Commissioners and new legislators\n\nwho can imagine solar power in south Georgia.<\/a>\nHelp the sun rise over Georgia!\n<\/p>\n

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