Capon Valley Coalition

This email circulated through the Capon Valley community yesterday, and the author, Jim Kocton, agreed to let us print it. Well worth reading.

The Consumer Advocate Division (CAD) agreement with TrAILCo has the effect of providing momentum for TrAILCo’s case with very little down-side for TrAILCo. It seems inevitable that, even if a transmission line certificate were granted, that the restrictions on right-of-way clearing and herbicide use would be made conditions of the Certificate. Hence, all that was really gained was free electricity for landowners who agree to a right-of-way.

This provides an additional incentive for people to settle with TrAILCo.
But TrAILCo also gets the support of CAD who agreed to support TrAILCo’s claim (before FERC) that these costs were operating expenses for the line, and therefore subject to rate recovery.

This means that all other ratepayers will be gouged even more for this line.

Not only will we have to pay for the construction and operating costs, now we pay the electric bills for those landowners. What is worse, if these costs are considered eligible for rate recovery, then TrAILCo also gets their “incentivized rate of return” which means that we pay the landowners’ electric bills AND we also pay TrAILCO’s additional 14 % on top. TrAILCo stockholders get even richer with this deal and ratepayers get gouged even
more.

How is this “Consumer” advocacy?
Jim Kotcon