On October 5, 2017, the Public Service Commission approved the following language by a vote of 3-0 in Docket No. 2017-AD-112:
“Finally, we note that MPCO (Mississippi Power Co.) has issued an ‘ultimatum’ of sorts – that in the absence of setting its stipulation for hearing, it reserves the right to seek recovery of gasification facility and their costs.”
“…the Commission has reserved the ability (…….(ii)…to issue a show cause order addressing whether revocation of the Kemper Project’s certificate is in the Public’s interest).”
MPCO brazenly threatens recovery of all costs associated with the gasifiers, definitely not in the best interests of its customers. The Commission, taking a stand for consumers, threatens a Show Cause Order which demands MPC prove the need of the Kemper Project in the first place or risk having the entire site closed resulting in total write offs of $7.6 billion.
Customer Advocacy Role
Rather late, the PSC and MPUS (Staff) have realized that the regulatory process is tilted in favor of the utilities. Their position has been strongly advocated by lawyers from day one of proceedings. The public had no advocate dedicated entirely to their cause with funds and rights to all information. Until this year, roles of both the PSC and MPUS in the Kemper proceedings were to balance the interests of all parties. Fortunately, MPUS is now tasked with the customer advocacy role. They are fighting the good fight.
How different would the Kemper process have gone if a consumer advocate with a budget and with rights to all information had been challenging MPCO’s unsupported claims since 2009? Odds are, most of us would have never heard of a Kemper Project.
This post was written by Charles Grayson.
This post is sponsored content provided by Bigger Pie Forum.
6 comments:
Better late than never I suppose.
PSC LEANS toward consumers.
You have Haley Barbour and Leonard Bentz to thank for this total disaster. Neither were looking out for the interest of the public when this project was put on the backs of Mississippi tax and rate payers.
3:58 pm, spot on. Haley never forgot as Governor that Southern Company was a large, probably the largest, Clint of his D.C. Lobbying firm, BGR. Hence he appointed Bentz as his shoe shine boy on the PSC to do his bidding. But don't overlook the stubborn insistence on the Plsnt by Southern Company's CEO TOM Fanning. He deserves much of the blame, but with Barbour and Bentz in charge of the PSC there was neither a gatekeeper nor a rule of reason at the MPSC. Fortunately Sam Britton, the honorable opposite of Bentz, replaced Bentz and is doing a wonderful job along with Cecil Brown and Brandon Presley. Now the finest Commission and Utilities Staff in its history.
KF, you are a darlin', and you know we all love you, but you seriously need to learn toward proofreading...
And don't forget Commissioner Lynn "Cozy" Posey.He and Bentz took illegal gifts from Ms. Power such as pheasent hunting trips to Texas and golf outings in Point Clear, Al. They should all go to jail along with Barbour and the Ms.Power executives who were paid 18 million dollars a year for creating this criminal enterprise. Sounds like a good RICO case for the AG or Dept. of Justice.
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