Akron, Ohio in Firesnergy Corp. Corporate headquarters of. A scam involving the company is taking reborn in Maryland. Google Maps Image.
By Matt Casper
The author is the Deputy Director of the Institute of Energy and Policy, which is a utility watchdog organization.
If we disagree with the contribution and political activities of our bank or grocery store, we have the freedom to shop and trade with other companies. This is not to work with our energy providers under the state-infranited monopoly, there is no competition for their services. In exchange for monopoly, utilities will have to submit for regulation by the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC), which determines how much customers are capable of using and how they can spend that money.
Under the inspection of PSC, utilities are considered only to charge customers to charge the minimum amount required to protect their lights and the houses are heated. But we know that utilities are regularly tried to meet the costs of their political influence activities on customers.
Thankfully, Sen Katie Fry Hester (D-Hover and Montgomery) and Dell will protect the customers and increase transparency by restricting investors owned monopoly utilities how do not affect the energy of these companies to carry energy in homes and businesses across the state.
Utility Transparency and Accountability Act could not come soon. Recent utility industry scams across the country have investigated, showing us in various ways that monopoly utilities have used their customers’ money inappropriately use as part of their political influence operations. Especially a scam has affected Maryland customers. Persianjee, the original company of Potomac Edison, which serves customers in Western Maryland, paved a $ 60 million through a network of dark money organizations, which was then passed to the former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, who used some funds for personal benefits and to increase their political strength. In turn, a bill was passed to Firesnergy which included more than one billion dollars rated.
It was not only Ohios who paid for that corruption. In October, PSC ordered a new audit of Potomac Edison, as the utility owned by the firstnergy admitted that it owes about $ 1.7 million in the refund to Maryland customers, it was wrongly charged for bribery for bribery in Ohio, lobbying, corporate sponsorship, advertising and other expenses, which was charged for bribery for bribery in other expenses, which was a bribe to a bribe, which was a bribe in the central. Was made in relation to the role.
In Illinois, Axlon, the original company of Baltimore Gas and Electric, has to deal with its subsidiary comed, similarly to get caught in a bribery scam and customers to return to its misconduct. Four comed officers are currently preparing briefing to pronounce their sentence after being convicted for bribing the former chairman of the Illinois House to receive his support for the law, which will benefit the utility.
The new audit of Potomac Edison will try to ensure that the wrong fee for customers is completely responsible and has been returned. Persian and Axlon’s comd can be the most important in scams, but there are many other utility expenses, while perhaps not criminals, customers should not be charged. Utilities tried to charge customers for hosting political impact activities for advertising costs, from membership payments of their political trade association, to affect public opinion or promote the image of utility. For example, in December, the PSC removed more than $ 400,000 in the pracharak advertisement and other expenses were taken from retainers for the membership of Washington Gas in the Trade Association, American Gas Association.
Utility Transparency and Accountability Act can help prevent scams in the utility industry which is not in Maryland. Strong transparency provisions placed on utilities will ensure that all interested aspects including regulatory, consumer advocates, commission employees, and customers, can see how the money collected from utility bills is being spent. Finally, the Bill added another transparency on electric utilities by the need of companies to disclose its recorded votes in regional transmission organizations.
Last year, Colorado, Connecticut and main MPs passed similar laws with the support of consumer, environment and sentinel organizations. In recent months, bills have been introduced in Arizona, California, Illinois, New York, Virginia and Ohio.
Utilities have a lot of money to pay for their political activities without charging customers. The four largest original companies (Axlon, Persian, Altagas, Nisurs) jointly reported a profit of $ 3.5 billion in the four largest original companies (Axlon, Persian, Altagas, Nisurs) for subsidiaries working in Maryland. Utility Transparency and Accountability Act will be guaranteed that when monopoly utility companies are fully unrelated to the distribution of energy services on political impact activities and other activities, this money comes from their profits, not from their customer’s wallet.
House and Senate hearing on bills have been scheduled for 22 February.
Re -published