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WV PSC Chairman's Arrogance and Bias in FirstEnergy Harrison Case a Most Revolting Display of Regulatory Capture

5/30/2013

2 Comments

 
Regulatory capture is the theory that regulators are often captured and controlled by the very industry they are charged with regulating in the public interest.  When a regulatory agency acts as a revolving door for utility industry executives, familiarity and arrogance proliferates and leaves the public under served and holding the door.

Sadly, it looks like FirstEnergy is keeping its PSC Chairman Michael Albert on a very short leash.  The Commissioner has been openly disparaging the members of the public who dared express their thoughts on FirstEnergy's unwise plant transfer proposal that will raise their electric rates 6% and lock them into paying for the company's cast-off, aging, power generator for the next 30 years.
But in lengthy opening remarks, Albert, a former utility company lawyer whose firm represents FirstEnergy, criticized what he said were inaccurate comments submitted to the PSC and reported by the media about the case. Albert did not provide any specific examples.
And he continues his assault on the public by ridiculing the citizens who went to great trouble and expense to show up for the hearing and plead their case in person.
Later, he said, "There was an awful lot of testimony (this morning, in the public portion), everybody said we can save the world by energy efficiency and demand response."
What an arrogant and thoughtless comment!  I really don't believe anyone actually mentioned "saving the world."  The public simply wants to save itself from further unnecessary and poorly planned FirstEnergy rate increases.

Obviously, Commissioner Albert isn't even capable of putting on his pleasant poker face and pretending to listen to the public he is sworn to serve.  Commissioner Albert's decision appears to already be made.

As for Chairman Albert: Not to place too much meaning on a small word choice, he spoke of the effect of the proposed transaction at the beginning of the hearing using "will" rather than "would."
Thankfully, his 6-year term as Chairman of the Public Service Commission will be expiring next month and Governor Tomblin will be free to appoint someone who is interested in serving the public, instead of serving his former colleagues and possible future employers at FirstEnergy.
2 Comments

Wrong Answer Downgrades FirstEnergy Stock

5/29/2013

2 Comments

 
Remember FirstEnergy's little fib about being happy to keep Harrison if their proposed transfer from Allegheny Energy Supply to Mon Power/Potomac Edison isn't approved during the company's last quarterly earnings call? 
Dan Eggers - Credit Suisse: Just following up on Tony's comments and Leila's comments about Harrison. Can you just maybe help us understand how important it is you think at this point in time to move that asset over from a balance sheet perspective relative to a customer benefit perspective? And then given kind of the wide or the low bid made in the intervenor testimony, how important it is to take a lower price or accept a lower price to get this done relative to keep in at FES if the pricing doesn't makes sense?
James F. Pearson - SVP and CFO: I'll start off with that, Dan. Well, let me start off. I think the low price of the $565 million or whatever that's just a nonstarter. So, I'll leave that at that. From a balance sheet perspective, we think we are in pretty good shape by getting the FirstEnergy Corp. bond deal done where we upsize to $1.5 billion. We also feel that we're in very good position with the hydro asset sales. So, we feel real comfortable about that. And as you know, we plan to infuse equity from FirstEnergy down into Mon Power associated with this asset transfer. If the asset transfer doesn't go forward, we would likely infuse that equity that we have planned for Mon Power down into FES. So, I think we end up at a good position for the balance sheet there at FES.
Anthony J. Alexander - President and CEO: Dan, this is Tony. As I'm looking at this, I think, this is far more important to West Virginia and Mon Power in terms of providing them with a stable and long-term resource that they can rely on than it is at this point from a balance sheet standpoint at FES or at FirstEnergy.
Dan Eggers - Credit Suisse: But if it didn't transfer, you'd feel comfortable keeping that extra capacity at FES?
Anthony J. Alexander - President and CEO: Absolutely. It's a great asset. So that's not a consideration.
Keeping that "great asset" became a "great liability" yesterday when Credit Suisse's Eggers downgraded FirstEnergy's rating.  I'm thinking that maybe Eggers wasn't convinced that Harrison really is a "great asset" after the results of PJM's latest RPM capacity auction were released on Friday (as if he ever really believed Tony the Trickster's silly bluster about keeping Harrison).

Eggers took FirstEnergy at their word.  If the company keeps its "great asset" it will continue to be unprofitable and drag down its balance sheet.  However, if the company can successfully unload the cost of running the plant on its West Virginia regulated customers, it will improve the balance sheet. 
Credit Suisse noted, “We have liked FE shares over peers for some time, attracted to the large base of regulated utility earnings (73% of 2015) that to us better protected the rich 5.2% dividend yield as well as management's commitment to, and success in, finding ways to extract value from the generation business (FES) in spite of sustained weak power market conditions through the early adoption of Retail, aggressive O&M controls, and fleet management through plant closures and seasonal dispatch until unit economics improved. We still see FE striving to do these things but the ugly reality of the 2016/17 RPM auction results are hard to deny: poor discipline by incumbent generators in the face of depressed forwards and the crushing impact of newbuild capacity plus greater imports are all contributing to an oversupplied market that will inevitably leave energy and capacity prices weak. We are lowering FE to Neutral (from Outperform) - meaning performance in-line with peers - and a target of $40 (from $45) built from our sum-of-the-parts valuation methodology. We see downside from here in all of the Integrated power names as the long and uncertain path to a power market recovery forces investors to reconsider the multiples paid for commodity cyclical power generation assets.”
PJM's auction results saw a sharp drop in prices for 2016-2017.  This means that not only will it ultimately be cheaper for Mon Power and Potomac Edison to purchase needed capacity from the market rather than buy Harrison to supply needed capacity, but all that unneeded excess supply from Harrison that FirstEnergy is proposing that Mon Power/Potomac Edison buy is now worth less than ever as a source of income that would offset the cost of purchasing the plant. 
Shares of FirstEnergy Corp. took a hit on Tuesday after Dan Eggers, an analyst for Credit Suisse, downgraded the company's stock to “neutral” from “outperform.”

At around 1:45 p.m., FirstEnergy was trading below $39.50 a share, or a price that was down more than 7% from its close last Friday of $42.62 a share.

In issuing the downgrade, Credit Suisse cited “an oversupplied market that will inevitably leave energy and capacity prices weak.” Mr. Eggers reduced his price target for FirstEnergy to $40 from $45.
FirstEnergy needs to unload their unprofitable Harrison power station on West Virginia electric consumers now more than ever.  The transaction will cause an increase in your monthly bill of at least 6% over current rates.  The Public Service Commission begins hearing the case today. 

Will FirstEnergy be able to fool the PSC into believing that Harrison is "a great asset?"  Or will the Commission face reality like Eggers did?

It is imperative that you let the PSC know that you do not support the Harrison transfer.  Click here to send your comments online quickly and easily.  Simply select case 12-1571 from the drop down menu and type in your comments.  Do it now!
2 Comments

Legislators Vow to Hold WV PSC Accountable on Potomac Edison Billing Catastrophe

5/25/2013

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The West Virginia Public Service Commission demonstrated exactly where its loyalties lie on Wednesday when it failed to show up for a Citizens' Public Hearing about a monumental billing foul up on the part of regulated monopoly Potomac Edison.   Instead, the PSC sent their regrets and a statement making excuses for the company.  As Senator Herb Snyder thundered during his remarks, "That's not their job!"
Potomac Edison also "respectfully declined" the invitation to participate without explanation.  But then again, Potomac Edison doesn't need to explain itself when the PSC will gladly take one for the team.

This lack of responsiveness on the part of Potomac Edison and the regulators who are supposed to be protecting consumers from this utility monopoly clearly shows why a Citizens' Public Hearing was warranted.

More than 100 customers of Potomac Edison showed up for the hearing, and even though the guests of honor failed to make an appearance, state legislators, county commissioners, and a representative from U.S. Senator Manchin's office listened intently and sympathetically for more than two hours as a total of 26 citizens were heard.

The panel of public officials were raptly attentive and clearly flabbergasted at the what they heard, as Potomac Edison customers clutching handfuls of outrageous bills begged for help. 
There were audible gasps from the audience as citizens shared the amounts of monthly bills they had received.  And even in the face of such adversity, many speakers applied humor to their situation.  One threatened to rip the electric meter off the side of his home and send it to the CEO of FirstEnergy C.O.D. to see if the huge bills for an empty house would finally stop.  Others related stories about Potomac Edison's excuses for not reading meters that had the audience in stitches.  (Loose dogs are a deterrent at a property where the meter reader regularly shares space with a bull -- "He's a really nice bull," said the property owner.)  Although Potomac Edison's lack of concern has been intended to beat its customers into submission to step in line and pay the bill they are issued, the customers' spirit has not yet been broken.

After every last citizen had been heard, the legislators took the podium, one by one, to pledge justice.

Del. Tiffany Lawrence said that Potomac Edison has shown a "lack of decency."

Del. Stephen Skinner characterized Potomac Edison as a "...monopoly with shoddy business practices."

Sen. Herb Snyder shook his fist while pledging, "This starts tonight. We are going to make the Public Service Commission accountable."

Sen. John Unger stated that after PATH, he thought FirstEnergy was "humbled in terms of how they treat people, but they have not learned their lesson."

We will be meeting with the legislators to keep you up to date about how they are keeping their promises to all of you.  The fight has just begun!
0 Comments

"Ratepayer Revolt!"

5/22/2013

4 Comments

 
That's how Delegate Stephen Skinner characterized last night's Citizens' Public Hearing in Charles Town.  Customer after customer came forward to share their own personal horror stories about recent experiences with Potomac Edison.  And at least two of those who spoke went home to face another night without electric service because they were unable to pay inaccurate and outrageous bills amounting to more than $1000 each.  Potomac Edison disconnected their service without warning.

More than 100 people came out to the meeting, in spite of a torrential downpour, and five state legislators, three county commissioners and a representative from U.S. Senator Joe Manchin's office came to listen.  Conspicuously absent from the gathering were Potomac Edison and the West Virginia Public Service Commission.

After listening for nearly two hours, the panel showed real anger during their remarks, and most importantly, promised action.  We will continue to work with our legislators to ensure that it happens. 

I've seen a whole lot of dubious and unethical actions on the part of FirstEnergy, Potomac Edison's corporate parent, over the past several years.  But even those dirty, underhanded schemes paled in comparison to what I heard last night.

FirstEnergy, you are truly despicable.

Media links:

Potomac Edison customers shocked in W.Va. Panhandle


Local Residents Speaking to Officials About Electric Bills Charges

Take WHAG's newest viewer poll:
Have you been overcharged on an electric bill? 
Vote now!


Power issues voiced by residents in Charles Town

We have caused a huge stink at FirstEnergy.
4 Comments

Mr. Haney Wants To Sell You a Power Plant

5/21/2013

3 Comments

 
Remember Mr. Haney, the swindling neighborhood peddler from the 1960s TV show Green Acres?
Haney, portrayed by veteran character actor and longtime Western film sidekick Pat Buttram with the distinctive, warbling voice, sold his family's ancient, dilapidated farm to Oliver when he and Lisa Douglas left New York City for rural Hooterville and their new life as farmers. In the process of the sale, Haney stripped the farm of everything of value down to the plumbing.
Haney had cheated the Douglases by charging them several times what the property was worth and saddling them with a dysfunctional farm. He continued to cheat them by initially selling the movable property associated with the farm to them one piece at a time. Douglas bought Haney's cow, tractor and plow, all of which were as useless as the farm.
He continued to come back with his farm truck converted into a peddler's truck stocked with worthless versions of items that Oliver had need of. He almost invariably succeeded in unloading the items on Oliver at inflated prices despite his past shady dealings with them. He often took a piece of junk and called it by some outlandish name, suggesting that it has some use that it clearly does not and that it's in some way valuable.
Haney would often turn up in his truck at the Douglas farm, minutes after they've realized they needed something, selling exactly that (even if it were very odd), complete with a pull-down sign on his truck advertising it. If turned down by Douglas, Haney would offer a variety of equally useless alternatives. Oliver once said "How come you always show up with exactly what I need?" And Haney turned it on him by saying "Well let me put it to you another way...how come you always need what I show up with?"
Well, deja vu, dear readers.  A new age Mr. Haney was peddling his wares to reporters at a "media event" in Fairmont yesterday.  The media event was staged to draw attention away from all FirstEnergy's other problems and hopefully convince the public to support the company's flaccid proposal to sell the Harrison power station to itself for ONE BILLION DOLLARS!

However, FirstEnergy's Mr. Haney is, shall we say, less than convincing?  It looks like Mr. Haney doesn't even believe himself when he tells the few reporters in the audience that he can "control the future."  Is that sort of like Todd's Magic Math?

And speaking of our friend Todd... he's so boring and inconsequential that the reporter talks right over him.  Even Mr. Haney smirks and makes faces when Todd talks.  And the camera man found film of a reporter's digital recorder the most interesting thing at FirstEnergy's media event.  Right.
And in other news... a big rat named Tony tried to eat Morgantown this morning.
3 Comments

Jefferson County Commission to Ask WV Public Service Commission to Open Investigation of Potomac Edison Billing Practices

5/13/2013

2 Comments

 
Another entity has joined the litany of complaints against FirstEnergy subsidiary Potomac Edison.  The Jefferson County Commission unanimously and enthusiastically voted last Thursday to send a letter to the West Virginia Public Service Commission asking the regulator to open an investigation of the company's billing and meter reading practices.

The Commission heard from WV Delegate Stephen Skinner during the meeting, as well as public comments from three different citizens, regarding the outrageous, unjust, and unreasonable Potomac Edison business practices customers had been subject to over the past year or so.

Delegate Skinner has been a vocal advocate for his constituents, many of whom have been hit hard by bills up to 1000% more than usual that are the product of the company's failure to read meters every other month as required by law, as well as both human and computer error on the part of the company.  As a regulated monopoly, Potomac Edison has obligations to its customers, and Delegate Skinner intends to do all he can to ensure Potomac Edison meets those obligations.

Since he began questioning Potomac Edison's practices, Skinner has been contacted by the company's government affairs person, who made all sorts of excuses, and promises that have failed to materialize.  The complaints continue.

Commissioner Widmyer expressed her disappointment with the company's "robo-call" method of attempting to connect with and mollify angry "real people" customers.

Meanwhile, the WV Attorney General pretends he is looking out for consumers by making a "hotline" number available for angry customers to call the company.  There's already a customer service number on your bill, little consumer.  The Attorney General recommends you call it.  Personally, I'd rather call Delegate Skinner or the Jefferson County Commission for some real help.

The parade of perturbed Potomac Edison patrons persists.
2 Comments

Harrison is no longer critical

5/7/2013

2 Comments

 
Great news today at FirstEnergy's quarterly earnings call!  Eternal optimist Tony Alexander (who is still waiting in vain for the economy to improve and power prices to increase) has stated that FirstEnergy's proposed West Virginia Harrison coal plant transfer is no longer critical!

"Our success with the actions we have already taken, particularly the bond deal at FirstEnergy Corp. means the Harrison transaction while still important to both West Virginia and FirstEnergy Solutions is no longer critical to the successful completion of our financial plan."

FirstEnergy management has finally admitted what I've been saying from the very beginning:  The proposed plant transfer is all about raising cash to pay down debt at FES to improve FirstEnergy's balance sheet and maintain its credit position. It was never really "...expected to help insure reliable power for our West Virginia utility customers for many years to come," or to be "...very positive for the West Virginia economy and our customers of our utilities in West Virginia."

Obviously, FirstEnergy now realizes that the West Virginia PSC is not going to approve this transaction, so  it has taken other measures necessary to patch up its balance sheet, such as selling bonds and its hydro assets (which are much more marketable than an antique coal plant).  FirstEnergy has decisively removed all its precious balance sheet eggs from the precarious Harrison plant transfer basket.  If the company had any faith left at all in the WV PSC approving the transaction, don't doubt that it would still be considered "critical."  Instead, the transfer idea has simply been tossed onto the ever-growing waste heap of FirstEnergy's bad ideas.

FirstEnergy also stated that transfer at a price lower than its jacked-up merger plant cost (which magically doubled the value of the plant overnight), as suggested by several intervenors in the case, was "a non-starter."  FirstEnergy would apparently rather give up entirely than sell the plant at a reduced rate.  I think we're all in agreement here then, and Tony can keep his "great asset" because it really isn't "more important to West Virginia and Mon Power than is it to FirstEnergy."
I think FirstEnergy's answer to this question pretty much clears things up all around:
Dan Eggers - Credit Suisse: Just following up on Tony's comments and Leila's comments about Harrison. Can you just maybe help us understand how important it is you think at this point in time to move that asset over from a balance sheet perspective relative to a customer benefit perspective? And then given kind of the wide or the low bid made in the intervenor testimony, how important it is to take a lower price or accept a lower price to get this done relative to keep in at FES if the pricing doesn't makes sense?
James F. Pearson - SVP and CFO: I'll start off with that, Dan. Well, let me start off. I think the low price of the $565 million or whatever that's just a nonstarter. So, I'll leave that at that. From a balance sheet perspective, we think we are in pretty good shape by getting the FirstEnergy Corp. bond deal done where we upsize to $1.5 billion. We also feel that we're in very good position with the hydro asset sales. So, we feel real comfortable about that. And as you know, we plan to infuse equity from FirstEnergy down into Mon Power associated with this asset transfer. If the asset transfer doesn't go forward, we would likely infuse that equity that we have planned for Mon Power down into FES. So, I think we end up at a good position for the balance sheet there at FES.
Anthony J. Alexander - President and CEO: Dan, this is Tony. As I'm looking at this, I think, this is far more important to West Virginia and Mon Power in terms of providing them with a stable and long-term resource that they can rely on than it is at this point from a balance sheet standpoint at FES or at FirstEnergy.
Dan Eggers - Credit Suisse: But if it didn't transfer, you'd feel comfortable keeping that extra capacity at FES?
Anthony J. Alexander - President and CEO: Absolutely. It's a great asset. So that's not a consideration.
It sounds like the bloom has come off FirstEnergy's plant transfer rose.  How refreshing for FirstEnergy to finally admit that they expect to LOSE on the Harrison proposal.  So, why not withdraw your application and quit wasting everyone's time and money, FirstEnergy?
It's still not too late to save the State of West Virginia and all the intervenors in the case a whole lot of time and money going forward with a hearing on a case you no longer care about.  FirstEnergy should withdraw now and let everyone cut their losses (well except for those shysters at Jackson Kelly, who are most likely counting on all the billable hours continuing this case provides -- because composing nonsensical and ridiculous discovery questions doesn't come cheap, does it?). 

We're not going to quit until FirstEnergy throws in the towel completely.

Keep those petition signatures, letters and postcards opposing the plant sale to the PSC coming!

Other news and entertainment to be had during today's call:

1.    AMP has pulled out of a MOU with FirstEnergy to build a peaker plant at its Eastlake site.  This now puts a whole bunch of new transmission back on the table.  But that's okay, transmission is an "investment opportunity" cash cow for FirstEnergy.

2.    FirstEnergy has succeeded in persuading the Ohio State Senate to introduce a bill to gut the state's energy efficiency standard.  "FirstEnergy is actively involved in this process and is advocating changes that we believe make more sense for our customers and help foster solid economic growth in Ohio, including the development of shale gas."  Oh, nonsense!  Again, it's not about FirstEnergy's customers or economic growth, it's all about FirstEnergy's bottom line.  Utterly revolting.

3.    FirstEnergy "took a look at" long term trends in residential sales, which have remained flat since 2007.  The FirstEnergy sleuths are getting closer and closer to the truth with every earnings call.  Maybe sometime in this decade they'll realize that residential growth is dead and cannot be revived because its all about energy efficiency.  However, if you look closely at #2 above, you'll see that it's simply a matter of willful denial at this point.

4.    Michael Lapides of Goldman Sachs got Donny Schneider off into a discussion of purchased power, where our hero stated, "We're very comfortable with being able to procure power to serve load. For years, prior to our merger with Allegheny, we served all of the Penelec and Met-Ed load, and I think that in total was about 30 terawatt hours a year, and we did almost of all of that with purchased power."  But now, all of a sudden, FirstEnergy is telling the WV PSC that relying on purchased power to serve Mon Power/Potomac Edison load is too risky and too expensive and that purchasing Harrison is a better idea.  Giggle break! :-)  Was Lapides REALLY asking about "exposure?"

5.    FirstEnergy was also grilled about their balance sheet hocus-pocus where the company is simply taking on short term debt at the holdco level to pay down debt at its FirstEnergy Solutions subsidiary, as well as another question about the source of funds for FE's "equity infusion" to either Mon Power or FES.  The company avoided both questions.  I'm not convinced that the analysts were fooled.  In fact, I don't think FirstEnergy is fooling anyone but themselves anymore.


2 Comments

National High-Voltage Transmission Opposition Comes Together

5/1/2013

4 Comments

 
Ut-oh, transmission project owners!

While attending the Wisconsin Energy Action Fair in Mauston over the weekend, experienced transmission opponents from across the country gathered to compare notes, share experiences and tactics, and discuss strategy and national energy policy.  Online friendships and alliances were cemented together in person.

Know what happens when you put a bunch of transmission opponents in a room together?  It's the all-transmission-all-the-time gab fest, where we're all allowed to indulge in thought-provoking and laughter-inducing conversations about our favorite subject that bores most of the other people we know:  transmission!

I suppose this could be considered the first of many national transmission opposition conventions, however, I'm not going to put my "The Importance of Strategic Planning in Grassroots Opposition" PowerPoint, or any summaries of any other speaker presentations, online.  That's what transmission owners do.  We're smarter!  If you weren't there, you missed out!

Many thanks to Rob, Jane, and all the friendly folks at SOUL for being such gracious hosts and making the weekend worth the trip!  Looking forward to the next event!

4 Comments

FirstEnergy Coal Plant Sale Testimony Filed - Let the analysis begin!

4/30/2013

0 Comments

 
Intervenor testimony was filed late last week in FirstEnergy's West Virginia Public Service Commission request to transfer the company's Harrison power station from competitive affiliate Allegheny Energy Generation to regulated affiliates Mon Power & Potomac Edison.

Pam Kasey at State Journal has a good summary of the testimony here.

"The transaction represents an effort to bail out the companies' unregulated affiliates," said PSC Consumer Advocate Byron Harris flatly in his testimony.

Ya think?

Bill Howley has been busy tearing into the testimony and summarizing the highlights here.

Be sure to file your own comments on case number 12-1571 with the WV Public Service Commission here.  Do it now.

0 Comments

Keryn's Adventure in Potomac Edison Land

4/30/2013

2 Comments

 
Alice isn't the only one to find herself tumbling into a rabbit hole where up is down and down is up and nothing is as it seems.

While trying to do a radio program about FirstEnergy's Potomac Edison/Mon Power plant transfer this morning, I found it interesting that every person who called in mentioned Potomac Edison's recent unjust and unreasonable billing practices.  And then I sat down to pay a pile o' bills when I got home and guess what?  There was my Potomac Edison bill.  The company has been urging customers with questions about their bills to call the customer service center, so I did.

Forty minutes later, I still didn't have logical answers to my questions.  I can only imagine how customers who have received astronomical bills they cannot pay must feel after an hour in Potomac Edison's "valued customer" funhouse.

First, I had to verify that I actually was a customer because my name supposedly isn't on the bill.  Now, we know that's just not true, don't we?  I guess that must be a common mistake, right, Randy?

After the first customer service rep. and I determined that the cause of my budget plan billings being inconsistent was Potomac Edison's lack of meter reading over the past year, it was suggested that I begin reading my own meter on those months that Potomac Edison can't make it to my house.  I was assured that Potomac Edison attempts to read meters EVERY MONTH, however they are only required to read them twice a year. 

After being informed that was complete and utter crap, she further insisted that Potomac Edison's WV tariff required only two readings per year and began to argue with me.  When I suggested she check her information with her supervisor, I got dumped onto hold for 29 minutes without explanation.  TWENTY-NINE minutes!  I guess I was supposed to hang up and go away, but I simply turned on the speaker and set the phone on my desk while I tackled the 472 emails that had piled up while I was away.  Oh... and I was highly entertained by Potomac Edison's hold muzak play list, which I have noted to share with you.... song by hysterical song:

You've got a friend


Still the same


Tight rope

Sister golden hair

Carefree highway


Good day sunshine

And here's where it got really hysterical...

How long (has this been going on)

Rocket man (and I think it's gonna be a long, long time)

Operator (could you help me place this call)


And just when I was starting to wonder what was coming next, "the supervisor" picked up the line and was not surprised in the least to find that I had been waiting 29 minutes and no one had bothered to tell her why I was calling.

At least she verified that Potomac Edison is required to read meters every other month according to their WV tariff and that the first customer service rep. was wrong.  I wasn't convinced that the supervisor actually would correct this misconception, however.  I guess it really doesn't matter how much Potomac Edison lies to you when you call for assistance.

However, while also verifying that my inconsistent bills were the product of Potomac Edison failing to read my meter, even she couldn't tell me why my new (APP) Summary only included 4 months while my neighbor's included 12.  Or why last month's bill was much higher for less kwh.  Apparently all my problems will be over if I only read my own meter from now on.  Right.
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    About the Author

    Keryn Newman blogs here at StopPATH WV about energy issues, transmission policy, misguided regulation, our greedy energy companies and their corporate spin.
    In 2008, AEP & Allegheny Energy's PATH joint venture used their transmission line routing etch-a-sketch to draw a 765kV line across the street from her house. Oooops! And the rest is history.

    About
    StopPATH Blog

    StopPATH Blog began as a forum for information and opinion about the PATH transmission project.  The PATH project was abandoned in 2012, however, this blog was not.

    StopPATH Blog continues to bring you energy policy news and opinion from a consumer's point of view.  If it's sometimes snarky and oftentimes irreverent, just remember that the truth isn't pretty.  People come here because they want the truth, instead of the usual dreadful lies this industry continues to tell itself.  If you keep reading, I'll keep writing.


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