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12/10/2021
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Rep. Morales and community advocates urge the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers to delay the transfer of Narragansett Electric to the PPL Corporation
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STATE HOUSE – Rep. David Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence) and community advocates are urging the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers (DPUC) to delay the transfer of Narragansett Electric to the PPL Corporation in anticipation of an upcoming public meeting regarding the transfer on Monday, December 13th.
Representative Morales points to concerns that utility ratepayers will be negatively impacted by the transfer along with the PPL Corporation’s ability to operate within the climate protections established in the newly approved 2021 Act on Climate, which was signed into law this year.
“There are simply far too many questions regarding the detrimental effects ratepayers will likely endure if this proposed transfer in ownership takes place. While Rhode Islanders already pay some of the highest utility rates in the country, I fear that this proposed transfer in operations will drive these prices even higher, further increasing the cost of living for working people who are simply trying to access the basic necessities of power and warmth. In order to protect the economic well-being of Rhode Island’s ratepayers and ensure that we are doing everything as a state to urgently address climate change, I urge the DPUC to delay the transfer of Narragansett Electric to the PPL Corporation,” said Representative Morales.
“It’s clear the transfer of Narragansett Electric to the PPL Corporation is not in the best interest of Rhode Islanders. Instead, our state government should be working towards a utility system that is publicly owned, protects working people from rate hikes, and prioritizes our transition to 100% renewable energy. This Monday, we will be attending the DPUC meeting to advocate against this transfer, raise the issue of why profit is being prioritized over the basic needs of providing working people with resilient, affordable electricity, and to call for a power system owned by the people of our state ,” said Nationalize Grid, a community group working with Representative Morales.
Representative Morales states that PPL has not proven that utility customers will be protected from significant rate hikes. He cites testimony from the Attorney General’s Office, the Conservation Law Foundation, and the Green Energy Consumers Alliance stating that ratepayers will likely see their electric and gas rates increase due to higher operating costs and PPL’s inexperience with renewable energy, the interconnection process, and serving individuals who participate in municipal aggregation programs.
Representative Morales and community advocates are further alarmed with PPL’s ability and expertise to meet mandated carbon emission reductions as required by the recently enacted 2021 Act on Climate. The new law requires the state to develop a plan to reduce all climate emissions from transportation, buildings and heating, and electricity used in the state to net-zero by 2050. He notes that PPL has not demonstrated that their acquisition won’t hinder the progress toward meeting the Act on Climate’s goals, and that PPL has no experience with operating offshore wind projects in either of their Pennsylvania or Kentucky subsidiaries. Representative Morales also points out that PPL has failed to explain how they will maintain National Grid's current role with climate related programs such as Least Cost Procurement, the Renewable Energy Standard, renewable energy long-term contracting, interconnections for net metering, and the Renewable Energy Growth Program.
“I’m concerned that this transfer of our utility will set our state back from meeting the obligations set by the Act on Climate given the transition costs and unproven experience of PPL. When you combine that with the detrimental effects this will likely have on our utility customers, this transfer is not in the best interest of the public. Therefore, I am asking that the DPUC delay the transfer of Narragansett Electric to the PPL Corporation. Furthermore, as a state government, we need to seriously consider the plausibility and benefits of finally having public ownership over our utility system,” concluded Representative Morales.
The public hearing will be held on Monday, December 13 at 10 a.m. in the first floor hearing room of the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers located at 89 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, Rhode Island. The hearing will be streamed live at https://video.ibm.com/channel/WqQyXw296dg.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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