About 35 protesters showed up in front of the National Grid offices in Syracuse Tuesday afternoon to oppose a pending rate hike request. The demonstration was sponsored by the CNY Public Power Coalition They're calling upon the State Public Service Commission to deny National Grid's rate hike request in part because the PSC is conducting an audit into questionable charges by National Grid. The Commission is expected to vote on the rate hike on January 20th.
A year ago, the utility requested a rate increase of $391-million dollars in its delivery rate for electricity. The PSC has proposed reducing the increase to $115-million dollars. Under the plan, residential users will see no reduction in their delivery rates for two years, while commercial and industrial customers will actually see decreases. The delivery rate is separate from supply charges that change according to market conditions.
The PCS is temporarily withholding $50-million dollars of the rate hike request pending the results of an audit that will not be completed until November. The audit was ordered after staff members uncovered a series of questionable charges passed on to consumers by National Grid. Opponents say those charges included a shipment of wine to the company's headquarters in Great Britain, private school tuition for an executive's children, home rentals and car leases.
Following the protest, National Grid Spokesman Alberto Bianchetti told CNY Central that National Grid voluntarily is conducting an internal audit into those questionable charges. Bianchetti pointed out that National Grid has not had a delivery rate increase in 14 years. He says the money is necessary to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure associated with providing power to its customers.
