BLUEFIELD — Lately, Delegate Ward L. Armstrong from Martinsville has been traveling across Virginia. He’s trying to garner support for H.B. 639 — a bill designed to restore major elements of the State Corporation Commission’s electric utility regulation powers that existed prior to the Electric Utility Restructuring Act in 1999.
First, I would like to agree with everyone, our power rates are ridiculous. But, let’s be careful about what corrective actions to take. Who do you trust? Big Corporations or Big Government? I certainly do not trust Big Government any more than I do APCO.
In Virginia, the present trend is to have our state government solve the problem of high energy costs. For instance, a couple of weeks or so ago, a bipartisan group of Virginia legislators rolled back an interim rate increase by Appalachian Power Co. Most people appreciated their action, even if it is only helps a little and is temporary.
While Del. Armstrong may have some intentions of helping Virginians, I think that he is taking advantage of people’s frustrations, in order to assert more government control over a major industry. That seems to be a trend at all levels of government. While some oversight of power industries at the state level may be necessary, we certainly don’t need our government virtually taking over more industries through regulations.
Del. Armstrong failed to point out the degree to which existing government regulation and taxation adds to our high energy prices. Armstrong’s own party, the Democrats, are responsible for much of the cost of producing energy in our state and nation.
Reinstating old regulations at the state level may make a small difference in power costs, but not much. If the pre-1999 regulations were so bad that the legislature needed to replace them years ago, then why in the world would we want to go back to them now?
Yes, something needs to be done about high power rates. However, simply returning to the pre-1999 electric-utility regulations will not address the costs that excessive regulation and taxation add to our high power bills.
Dave Cox
Bluefield, Va.
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March 13, 2010
Government should not control industry
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