West Virginia Consumer and Business Groups Join Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition to Urge Senator Manchin to Support Transmission Competition that Could Save Consumers $525 Billion by 2050

The West Virginia Manufacturing Association and the West Virginia Energy Users Group joined the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition (ETCC) in calling on Senator Joe Manchin to support electricity transmission. The ETCC sent a letter to Senator Manchin, Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, asking for his support following the recently released Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) that rejects competition and protects incumbent utility monopolies instead of consumers.

In West Virginia, aggregated transmission rates have increased every year since 2013 while demand has been relatively flat over the same period. At the same time, transmission costs for West Virginia customers have steadily increased.

In a statement Chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, Paul Cicio said: “Competition has been shown to lower costs for consumers whether they are businesses or households. By removing transmission competition, FERC would in effect be endorsing price hikes on Americans who are already grappling with the costs of inflation.”

Rebecca McPhail, President of the West Virginia Manufacturing Association, said: “Electricity pricing is critical to West Virginia manufacturing, and our view is that competition is the best solution for putting downward pressure on electric rates at all levels.”

Derrick Williamson, Executive Director of the West Virginia Energy Users Group, added: “West Virginia’s ratepayers are still captive to vertically integrated, government-regulated electric rates, and anything that can be done at the wholesale transmission level to promote competition and pry some control from the monopoly utilities can only benefit West Virginia business and industry.”

Robert Williams, Director, Consumer Advocate Division, WV Public Service Commission, said: “Consumers have been hit hard by increasing electric bills. The costs associated with constructing new wholesale transmission facilities have significantly contributed to rising electric rates. The WV Consumer Advocate Division, along with other Consumer Advocates in the region, support the consideration of more cost-effective solutions. Developing a competitive construct for wholesale transmission projects would help mitigate the rising cost of electricity in West Virginia and the region, and needs to be further explored.”

The ETCC urges FERC to require that all electricity transmission projects that are 100 kV or larger be competitively bid.

You can read the full letter to Senator Manchin here.

About the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition

The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition (ETCC) is a broad-based, nation-wide coalition committed to increasing competition in America’s electricity transmission infrastructure. We advocate for common-sense policies and solutions that result in competitively priced transmission projects, which reduce energy costs for all ratepayers – from large manufacturers to residential consumers. The ETCC represents a diverse group of more than 70 companies and organizations from all 50 states, including manufacturing groups, retail electric consumers, state consumer advocates, public power representatives, think tanks, and non-incumbent transmission developers.

For more information, visit: www.electricitytransmissioncompetitioncoalition.org.

Press Contact:
Julian Graham
jgraham@signaldc.com