Cinergy/Duke NC Merger, Duke OH Ice Storm, Wind Storm Electric Distribution Rate Increase

By Albert E. Lane

The PUCO Docket is a public record for Ohio. PUCO criteria is for service, safety and reliability performance of Public Utilities. I, as an Amberley Village resident and 2009 council candidate, did not have electricity for two days during the Feb 13th & 14th, 2007, Valentines Day Ice storm and for five days during the September 2008 Ike windstorm of which I became an intervenor. Duke was bringing in out-of-town crews. Because of this I was able to cross-examine William Wathen Jr. of Duke Energy Business Services. I found out at that time that our recent $55 mil increase for overhead wire was agreed upon in a room between Duke OH, PUCO and OCC. Duke OH had originally said that $86 million (5.73 percent) was the aggregate amount required from 650,000 customers. The $55 mil was $31 mill less then the $86 mil amount required by Duke. I asked Duke Oh witness Mr Wathen, if Duke Oh fudged with their original $86 mil required amount? The $30 million request of Duke OH to recover the Sept 2008 Ike Windstorm costs was deferred and hasn't been resubmitted by Duke OH at the time of this letter. It is my desire to have Amberley Village (3,400 population) become an interested party via the Village Solicitor with PUCO as it relates to service, safety and reliability performance, requesting inquiries, if necessary. In my opinion on rate cases the utility payer (the residents and voters of Amberley Village) are entitled to outside neutral public accountant audits and investigations of their public utility to establish public utility rates and that is the policy I used as intervenor and will use in the future. Amberley Village receives notice each time when Duke Energy of Ohio requests a utility rate increase. I wrote an aggregate of 22 entries on the PUCO dockets from 2005-2009.