FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jeanne K. Clark
May
21, 1998 412/421-6072
Pittsburgh, May 21 – Citizen Power
today expressed guarded pleasure with the decision of the Pennsylvania Public
Utility Commission (PUC) to formally ratify its preliminary vote of April 30 on
the restructuring cases of Duquesne Light (DQE) and Allegheny Power (AYE),
cutting so-called stranded costs for both companies.
“Today’s decision, while not perfect, will help
local electric customers struggling under the weight of out-of-control electric
bills, “ said David Hughes, Executive Director of Citizen Power. “Thanks to our work and the outcry of local
citizens, we have saved Western Pennsylvania consumers $1.5 Billion, and
prevented Duquesne and Allegheny from choking off competition.”
“After 10 years of paying off Duquesne Light’s bad investments in
nuclear plants we didn’t need or want, customers are finally getting a break, “
continued Hughes. “In a truly fair
world, the bailout would strop right now.
But at least now the end is in sight.
“Our fight has paid off. We
said ‘no’ to ‘stranded costs’ – and the PUC cut Duquesne and Allegheny’s
demands by nearly 50%. We said ‘no’ to
an unrestricted merger – and the PUC is requiring the Companies to protect real
competition if they want to merge. We
asked customers to join the fight through our radio ads, public education and
telephone banks – and the customers not only spoke out, but were also heard
loud and clear by the PUC.
“The fight, however, is not over. We must pressure the PUC and the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission to force the Companies to abide by today’s
order. We must make the promise of
competition a reality. Customers must
be able and willing to shop for new electric suppliers. They must have clear and unbiased
information from the companies so that they can make smart energy choices. And we must demand that electric suppliers
offer their customers renewable and sustainable electric power that protects
our health and the planet, as well as our wallets.
“We will continue to fight for clean affordable
energy. And with the support we have
received from the public, we are in a stronger position to win. In fact, for our economy, our health and our
world, we must win,” concluded Hughes.
Citizen Power is a Western Pennsylvania public
policy, research, education and advocacy group that fights for consumers and
the environment through education and litigation. Since the legislature’s middle-of-the-night passage of the 1996
Electricity Generation Customer Choice and Competition Act, Citizen Power
has represented the rights of consumers to lower rates and clean, safe power. Citizen Power was an officially designated
Public Interest Intervenor in the DQE/AYE cases before the PUC, and is the only
Western Pennsylvania organization working full-time on this issue.
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