UPDATE: WHAT HAS LORRAINE DONE FOR US LATELY?

Months ago WE warned you about the Public Utilities Commission, the consequences of the Ohio General Assembly's so-called Energy Bill, and electric rates.

This morning we pointed out that Rep. Lorraine Fende has spent her time preventing snow piles from being put in handicap spots.

Rep. Mark Schneider can not escape blame either here.  Schneider has showed he loves raising taxes, fees, and the like.  But, at least he shows us a pulse and gets out and talks to companies.

Then we have this morning Plain Dealer article bemoaning First Energy's doubling of commercial electric rates.

You can read the Plain Dealer's linked article here. Here are some scary quotes from the PD's article:

Small manufacturers, small office building owners and apartment developers say the utility's changes in commercial rates have been devastating.

John Vaught, chief executive officer of Tri-Cast Ltd., an Akron metal casting foundry about a 15-minute drive from FirstEnergy's headquarters, said he is talking to economic development officials in Tennessee, who are promising low power prices.

What FirstEnergy has done to its rates will drive others who use a lot of electricity out of the region, Vaught predicted.

What has Lorraine Fende done for us lately?  She has voted to increase taxes, raise fees and fines, and done nothing to make Ohio's commercial climate a better place to do business.

Businesses are afraid, unemployment is high, companies are threatening to leave.

What's Lorraine Fende do?  Nothing substantive.  Natta. Zip.  Maybe her and Judge Larry Allen can finally get some peace and retire in another State.

Food for Thought: Should Everyone Continue to Subsidize Utility Costs for a Small Group?

We have talked a lot about Utility Companies, the Public Utilities Commission (PUCO), the politics of it to a lesser extent, and the controversies that have cropped up around these issues.

Sen. Tim Grendell recently sued on behalf of North East Ohio Residents claiming the Electric Utilities are breaching contract by upping the rates of all-electric customers.  Both the PUCO and Electric Utility admits that everyone else subsidizes the artificially low rats of all-electric users, those using electric furnaces more specifically.

Its also good to see that Rep. Lorraine Fende has finally showed her face to her constituents; Rep. Fende hosted a town-hall forum on utilities.

QUESTION: Should everyone else artificially keep the approximately 100, 000 customers who use electric heat electric rates low?

QUESTION: Did Sen. Grendell think about the rest of us, or is this just a bombastic attempt to grab headlines?

The real problem hear is that BOTH Sen. Grendell and Rep. Fende have sat idly by over the past year as WE, your faithful blog, started poitning these issues out.  Furthermore, both Rep. Fende AND Sen. Grendell were in the State Legislature when Gov. Strickland's so-called energy bill, S.B. 221.

S.B. 221 mandated that Utilities reduce production, which, you guessed it! decreased revenue!

Who do you think is and is going to make up for lost revenue?  Enter the failed light bulb distribution program from the fall.

Here is the so-called energy bill that both Rep. Fende and Sen. Grendell were around for
SB 221 Energy Bill
For you layman out there, us included, here is the bill analysis
SB 221 Bill Analysis

Fende and Grendell Catch On: Someone is Finally Looking at the Plight of Utility Consumers in Ohio

It looks like Loraine Fende and Tim Grendell have been paying attention to us and has decided to take some action on issues we have been discussing for months.  Loraine Fende will have a town hall meeting to discuss electrical rates.  Tim Grendell filed a class action lawsuit in Geauga County common Pleas Court regarding the rise in electric rates for some people.

We have been discussing these issues for months, see here, for instance.
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Let's digress for a moment. Everytime we try to deal with substantiave issues (e.g. utilitiy companies, the Public Utilities Commission (PUCO), etc.) a local City Council OR the Board of Commissioners OR Finance District OR a County Board try to or publicly announce tax increases or that they are thinking about tax increases.

 Then, there are political machinations about who will be which party's candidate for what.

The Democrats slate card in Lake County is set, and has been: Dan Troy is political force, like-it-or-not, and the Democrats control hold OH-62 and OH-62 House seats. Therefore, all has been quiet about which Democrat will run.  Today, Dave Fiebig announced his candidacy, against Mike Zuren, for the Republican Party nomination for the OH-62 seat.

That has left our Republican friends.
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However, months ago we decided to dealve into the utilities compamies, utlity bills the Public Utilities Commission, etc. and try to point out how much legislators in Ohio, the Governor, and their political flunkies have helped the utility companies take more of your money.

We are glad to see Rep. Loraine Fende and Sen. Grendell following our lead and paying attention to these issues.

More to follow.

First Energy Doing Well During Recession

As we mentioned earlier one of the most powerful government entities is the Public Utilities Commission (PUCO). On January 30th we started to explain how powerful PUCO and took at look at our electric bills.

We MUST turn a watchful eye back to the PUCO, its new commissioner, and our utility companies.

The Plain Dealer wrote this afternoon on their website about  First Energy's purchase of Allegheny Power.  The most interesting part of the article is the discussion of First Energy's sales, revenue, and earnings per share.

The Akron utility Thursday reported 2009 earnings of $1 billion, or $3.29 per share on total sales of $12.9 billion. That compares with $1.34 billion in profits in 2008, or $4.38 per share, on total sales of $12.1 billion.

The company's fourth quarter 2009 profits came to $238 million, or 78 cents per share, on sales of $2.95 billion. In the last quarter of 2008, the company earned $332 million, or $1.09 per share, on sales of $2.8 billion.

Interesting.  Remember a few months ago when First Energy and the PUCO went on damage control to contain the public outrage over the $23 being charge for two Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs?  Most of the this charge resulted in the lost revenue caused by the use of CFL's.  

Looks like First Energy is still doing pretty well.