| Comment: |
BPA: I have read the letter from OTEC concerning your proposed 2010 BPA Rate Case. This is the time when many are losing their jobs, and all are having to cut back on many things. Your increase would be just one more cross for all to bear. This is not the time to lay another burden on the public which is already suffering from a severe downturn in the economy with a depression around the corner. Your increase will only help to hasten the closing of many small businesses and perhaps bankruptcy of large corporations who rely on your electricity to survive. You need to rethink this matter. Also, there are many wind generators in our area that should be adding to the supply of power, which in turn should help to lower overall costs. Those of us who live on a fixed income are already budgeting to the limit to make the income match the outgo. With a severe increase in one area, some other area of expenditure will need to be cut. Will this be food, medicine, transportation, education of children and/or grandchildren, or what? Have you considered internal restructuring to reduce your own costs, and then to pass the savings on to the customers? There must be a better solution than what you are proposing. Farmers who irrigate will then have to pass their increased costs on to the consumer, thus raising prices in other areas as well. We have already seen a major business close in our area, and layoffs in other major employers. You will only accelerate these concerns with your rate increase. |
