Duke Energy is looking for a major win in the way it charges consumers, but it might not be a win for all involved, according to columnist Rob Schofield in the Richmond County Daily Journal.
Duke and several advocates are entangled in a fight at the North Carolina General Assembly as the energy company hopes to launch a new ratemaking process at the state’s Utilities Commission where fees for customers would be set for years at a time.
Schofield wrote that while this might sound like an automatic win for consumers, it could be more of a win for Duke as consumers could look up and discover that they are locked in and forced to pay higher bills than normal for years at a time, considering the rates would be centered on Duke’s forecast of costs.
On top of that, Schofield questioned what Duke will do with any extra revenue it brings in. Duke has suggested that it would sow and donate into low-income communities, but that still raises even more questions as a portion of the provision reveals the money would fund “electric infrastructure investments in economically distressed areas or low-income communities that facilitate job creation,” according to Schofield.
Schofield suggested legislators order Duke to involve consumers, environment and energy efficiency organizations in its process and to investigate Duke’s proposal as detailed as possible.
Schofield is the director of NC Policy Watch.
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