FirstEnergy customers who want to voice their opinion on a rate plan filed by the utility with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio may do so at a hearing April 19 at 6 p.m. at One Government Center in Toledo.

FirstEnergy filed the plan with state regulators last month. If approved by the PUCO it would set in place a schedule for how rates would be set for three years, starting in June, 2011 when the current plan will expire.

The plan would use a competitive bidding process to establish supply and prices for customers who don’t choose alternative providers. The same process was used by FirstEnergy’s operating companies, Toledo Edison, Ohio Edison, and Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., last May. There would be four separate bidding sessions – one each in July and October of 2010, July 2011, and July 2012 - to determine rates.

While the plan calls for base distribution rates to remain in place, it provides for the utilities to recover the costs of property taxes, Commercial Activity Tax, income taxes as well as upgrades to distribution  systems, including substations and related equipment that were not included in the rate base determined in January, 2009.

The “Delivery Capital Recovery” rider in the plan sets caps for collecting the associated revenue at $150 million during the first 12 months, $165 million in the following 12 months, and $75 million in the next five months.

Three other riders to recover capital improvement costs won’t be covered by the caps.

Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Janine Minden-Ostrander said the plan to let the company adjust quarterly rates to collect up to $390 million in distributions charges from customers over a 2 ½-year span was unfair.

Marine patrols funded
Six area law enforcement departments have received Marine Patrol Assistance Grants from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife:

•Ottawa County Sheriff - $31,605

• Perrysburg Township Police Marine Patrol - $14,024

• Port Clinton Harbor Patrol - $17,580

• Lucas County Sheriff’s Department - $24,889

• Sandusky County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol - $6,716

School board to meet
The Genoa Board of Education will meet April 20 at 6 p.m. in the administration building, 2810 N. Genoa Clay Center Rd.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed