EDITORIAL

PPL should help us out on utility rates

Posted 9/21/22

Perhaps it’s time to increase the cost of providing power in the Ocean State.

Electric customers don’t have much of a choice in Rhode Island. Practically every utility customer pays …

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EDITORIAL

PPL should help us out on utility rates

Posted

Perhaps it’s time to increase the cost of providing power in the Ocean State.

Electric customers don’t have much of a choice in Rhode Island. Practically every utility customer pays the same monopolistic power provider.

And we’re at their mercy every year when winter rolls around.

The Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers (PUC) votes Friday on whether or not PPL (dba Rhode Island Energy) can implement a nearly 47 percent hike in electric rates and we’ve already been warned to expect an explosive increase in gas rates next month.

The U.S. economy teeters on the brink of recession, and the world is slowly crawling from underneath its pestilent pandemic blanket. Inflation has us all a cent short and borrowing from our penny loafers.

Ocean State residents can’t absorb this rate hike.

We were assured that PPL had our best interests in mind when the PUC allowed the sale of Narragansett Electric (transferred from National Grid to Pennsylvania Power & Light).

We were assured PPL would be a good neighbor — a better neighbor than Russia has been to Ukraine.

Perhaps the Ocean State should levy the ultimate tax on monopolies. Maybe we should introduce a fee for the privilege of providing us power.

PPL needs to prove the lofty promises they made while courting the PUC. The PUC needs to consider the Ocean State residents struggling to swim, avoiding the incoming rip current.

The PUC needs to find a way around the oncoming rate increases. They were appointed to protect our best interests.

We recognize there are fixed costs to providing power, but Rhode Island Energy must negotiate better rates for the state. And the PUC can make sure that happens.  

editorial, PPL

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  • umpwuggly

    "Perhaps the Ocean State should levy the ultimate tax on monopolies. Maybe we should introduce a fee for the privilege of providing us power."

    Exactly where, do you think they'll get that money? The customers rates will go up to cover the new tax/fee. It is a win for the the State though, kind of a back door tax on the People.

    Thursday, September 22, 2022 Report this