GRANT COUNTY PUD

Most of the time people strive hard to be number one. In the case of power raises to it’s customers, the Grant County PUD has made schedule 1-Residential at the top of the list for the last 16 years, eight times to be exact.

Tomorrow morning, Friday, Jan. 8, at 8:30 a.m. at the PUD office in Ephrata, there will be a hearing on rates. It has already been decided how much needs to be raised; now it’s time to find whose ox will be gored this time around.

The rate increase is 4 percent per year, added to the last year for four years; almost 17 percent total after four years, or in dollars, almost $17 million per year starting with the fourth year.

Residential rates are now double that of industrial rates. It’s time to start bringing the gap closer, not further. There’s talk of one mil (one dollar per megawatt) for customers now paying over 30 mil and 1 1/2 mil for customers paying under 30 mil, this would roughly raise the needed money if applied each year. The citizens for public power feel the upper rates should be frozen until the lower ones catch up, but feel the 1 mil-1 1/2 mil would be a start in the right direction.

We are asking all rate payers over 30 mil (residential, general, irrigation) to attend this hearing and add support.

Mick Hansen

Chairman, Citizens for Public Power