West Virginia Public Service Commission Story Archives

Chair Caning And Keeping Utilities In Good Shape, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, when your power goes out, water bill comes in or your nearby fire hydrant looks ancient, there’s a state organization keeping tabs on all of that and more. Randy Yohe talks with Charlotte Lane, chair of the West Virginia Public Service Commission, on how this regulating entity balances public protection with keeping utilities viable.

On this West Virginia Morning, you don’t see caned chairs as much as you used to. Cane breaks down with age and there aren’t many people who know how to repair these old chairs. But in Wheeling, there’s a workshop called Seeing Hand, where skilled workers repair old chairs and so much more. For Inside Appalachia, Folkways Reporter Clara Haizlett brings us this story.

Also, in this show, when your power goes out, water bill comes in or your nearby fire hydrant looks ancient, there’s a state organization keeping tabs on all of that and more. Randy Yohe talks with Charlotte Lane, chair of the West Virginia Public Service Commission, on how this regulating entity balances public protection with keeping utilities viable.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Eric Douglas produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

W.Va. Water And Sewer Bills On The Increase

State regulators have approved an 8 percent increase in water and sewer rates for the average customers of the West Virginia-American Water Company (WVAW).

That means more than $10 a month.

In its 58-page ruling, the Public Service Commission (PSC) of West Virginia said the average water bill should increase by $5.69 a month, and sewer bills should increase by $5.59 a month.

The company initially filed for a 22.5 percent increase on May 1, 2023. That request was a total of more than $41 million. After the commission allocated a portion of sewer costs to the water operations, the water increase rose to $43 million, or 24 percent.

The net effect of the commission’s decision released Saturday is to approve a $15 million revenue increase, or an 8 percent increase in rates, instead of 24 percent.

The impact on a residential customer using 3,400 gallons of water per month will take the monthly water bill from $71.10 to $76.79.

For sewer operations, residential customers using 3,400 gallons of water per month will take the average monthly sewer bill from $69.92 to $75.51.

The Kanawha County Commission had advocated for no rate increase, but released a statement that said it views the reduced increase as a significant success, with WVAW receiving only a fraction of its requested amount.

At the evidentiary hearing, Commissioner W. Kent Carper voiced his concerns over water rate affordability.

“The reason why the Kanawha County Commission is the only [local] government entity opposing this I don’t quite understand. I think more should,” he said. “But our concern is the affordability of water rates at this point in time. People can’t afford utility rates going up every other year or every year. Sometimes it’s every year because there are different charges besides the base rate … Our objection is these continuous, systemic, back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back rate increases and surcharges and other charges certainly add up.”

The new rates took effect Saturday.

More information on this case can be found on the PSC website: www.psc.state.wv.us. Click on “Case Information” and access Case Nos. 23-0383-W-42T and 23-0384-S-42T.

PSC Begins Truck Brake Inspection Program Sunday

The PSC highways enforcement team will be checking brakes on big trucks and buses during Brake Safety Week, which runs Aug. 20-26.

Ever wonder how safe big trucks are when they whiz by you on the road?

So does the Public Service Commission.

The PSC highways enforcement team will be checking brakes on big trucks and buses during Brake Safety Week, which runs Aug. 20-26.

The team will emphasize inspections along Interstate 81 in Berkeley County. But they will also be at work on I-64 at Winfield in Putnam County and on I-77 at Mineral Wells in Wood County.

“We will be performing level-one inspections on commercial motor vehicles during Brake Safety Week,” said Sgt. A.W. Ryan of the enforcement section.

This is an extensive inspection process using Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 37-step inspection guidance, beginning with the driver’s credentials and hours of service for compliance.

“We crawl under the truck to inspect the vehicle for mechanical defects of any kind, putting an emphasis on the brakes to make sure they are in proper working order,” Ryan said.

The inspections can take up to an hour to complete according to Ryan.

The West Virginia program is part of a national effort with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, based in Washington, D.C., with an emphasis on brake lining/pad violations. Trucks with faulty equipment are sidelined until those defects are corrected.

The goal is to reduce the number of highway crashes and to educate drivers, mechanics, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation.

“I have been out with these dedicated inspectors,” PSC Chairman Charlotte Lane said. “I’ve donned the smock and gone under the vehicles. The work they do is essential to highway safety in West Virginia.”

Last year, state inspectors examined 342 vehicles and removed 22 from service. Nationally, inspectors conducted 38,117 inspections last year and 13.3 percent of those removed from service for brake-related violations.

PSC Rejects Recommendation To Increase Price Of Veterans’ Grave Markers

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia announced it will not implement a recommendation from its own task force and the funeral industry to increase the price of veterans’ grave markers by 51 percent.

On Thursday, the Public Service Commission of West Virginia announced it will not implement a recommendation from its own task force and the funeral industry to increase the price of veterans’ grave markers by 51 percent.

The West Virginia Cemetery & Funeral Association asked the commission to increase the marker fees in 2022.

The PSC created a task force to study the matter. The task force found installation prices had not increased since 2006 and agreed with the industry’s request.

“The commission recognizes the sacrifice our veterans and their families have made in the service to our country,” the PSC said in a press release. “In light of this, it is our desire to keep the total charges associated with veterans’ grave markers as economical as possible.”

In its discussion of the decision, the PSC noted that most of the cost information the funeral association provided was based on internet research rather than records they are required to keep.

“It will take much more information than the commission received if we are to further burden these families with additional costs while they are burying their honored dead,” PSC Chairman Charlotte Lane said.

Mon Power, Potomac Edison Ask PSC For $207 Million Rate Increase

The average residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours per month would see a 15 percent increase, or about $18.

Mon Power and Potomac Edison, both subsidiaries of Ohio-based FirstEnergy, have asked the West Virginia Public Service Commission to raise rates by $207 million.

In a statement Thursday, the companies said the increase will support improvements to the grid, reliability in rural areas, storm repairs and higher operating and maintenance costs due to inflation.

“While strict cost management and careful planning have allowed us to keep our West Virginia electric rates the lowest among the state’s investor-owned electric companies,” Jim Myers, president of FirstEnergy’s West Virginia operations, said in a statement, “an adjustment is required to keep pace with rising prices and allow us to continue making critical electric system enhancements.”

The average residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours per month would see a 15 percent increase, or about $18.

The companies are seeking an agreement with the owner of the Pleasants Power Station to keep it in operating condition that would include a monthly surcharge. The plant was scheduled for deactivation on Thursday.

Emmett Pepper, policy director for Energy Efficient West Virginia, which has criticized the Pleasants surcharge, said Mon Power and Potomac Edison Rates have gone up more than 70 percent since 2007.

“In order to help customers deal with these continued proposed rate hikes,” he said, “ratepayers need to be empowered to address energy costs by meeting their needs through more efficient buildings, generating their own power, and having battery backup for outages.”

Mon Power and Potomac Edison serve about one million customers in West Virginia and Maryland.

Pleasants Plant Has Another Potential Buyer, Mon Power Tells PSC

Omnis Fuel Technologies is working on its own agreement with ETEM to operate the plant and produce electricity using hydrogen instead of coal.

Mon Power has told state regulators that another potential buyer of the Pleasants Power Station has emerged.

Mon Power told the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) in a filing late Wednesday that it’s still working toward an agreement with the owner of Pleasants, a company called ETEM.

However, Mon Power is not the only one who’s interested in acquiring the 44-year-old plant, which is scheduled to be decommissioned next week.

Mon Power said another company, Omnis Fuel Technologies, is working on its own agreement with ETEM to operate the plant and produce electricity using hydrogen instead of coal.

Depending on how it’s produced, hydrogen could meet proposed federal regulations on power plant emissions because hydrogen emits zero carbon dioxide when burned.

Mon Power said Omnis and ETEM would need to reach an agreement by June 10. If they do not, Mon Power will move forward with approval of its agreement by mid-June.