TOGETHER WE HAVE THE POWER TO FIGHT THE POWER COMPANY
Click HERE to Listen to the Telephone Town Hall on Appalachian Power
Click HERE to view the vote on Ward's bill to rein in Appalachian Power
After the bill was defeated in Committee, Del. Armstrong attempted to bring the bill before a full vote of the House. Sadly, only 25 members of the House voted to consider this bill to rein in Appalachian Power's rate hikes.
Appalachian Power Company (APCo) is trying to raise its rates again—for the 11th time since January 2006. The latest increase would be 19% for residential customers. This is on top of a 7.7% increase that went into effect over the summer. If APCo is successful, that would mean residential customers’ utility rates would be more than 25% higher than they were at the beginning of this year.
Delegate Ward Armstrong thinks this is just plain wrong.
Recently Delegate Armstrong organized community bus trips to the Appalachian Power rate increase hearing in Rocky Mount on November 19th. Several local companies including Bassett Furniture and Vaughan-Bassett Furniture joined with Delegate Armstrong to sponsor the buses.
Our part of Virginia has been especially hard-hit by the economic recession. Unemployment here is higher than anywhere else in the state.
Delegate Armstrong has been fighting these rate increases by submitting written comments, giving testimony at public hearings, and even holding a press conference which successfully called for the SCC to hold public hearings in Southside or Southwest Virginia rather than Richmond in order to allow more citizens to participate.
Along with other local leaders, Ward Armstrong continues to urge local citizens to contact the State Corporation Commission and say NO to APCo’s latest increases.
During the week of September 21-29th 2009 you should have received a telephone call and mail piece from Delgate Armstrong about APCo's latest rate increase request. Please take a few moments to fill out the attached card and mail it in to the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to tell them now is not the time to increase electric rates and ask the SCC to not grant the increase sought by APCo.