On Tuesday, June 17, West Virginians from across the state will take action in response to Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power’s proposed base rate increase and drastic cuts to rooftop solar compensation. Residents will gather at a rally outside the Public Service Commission (PSC) in Charleston and at a community streaming and speaking event at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling to oppose the rate hike and support access to solar and energy freedom.
AEP’s proposal would significantly raise electric bills for all customers — residential, commercial and industrial—despite the fact that West Virginians already pay some of the highest electricity prices in the region. Rates have more than doubled over the past 15 years, and if this proposal is approved, bills could increase by more than $23 per month for typical households.
“It is a top concern of ratepayers for our monopoly utility, Appalachian Power, to do more to reduce bills for everyday West Virginians,” said Emmett Pepper, policy director for Energy Efficient West Virginia. “The June 17 hearing before the West Virginia Public Service Commission provides a critical opportunity for those of us who don’t have high-priced lobbyists to speak up and push for an energy future that encourages what is cost-effective.”
The plan also targets rooftop solar by slashing the net-metering credit that customers receive for excess energy they produce — cutting it by nearly two-thirds. This change would make it far less affordable for families to install solar panels, undermining energy independence and access to clean, renewable power.
“This proposal by AEP is a direct threat to solar access in West Virginia,” said Leah Turgeon, West Virginia State Director for Solar United Neighbors. “If the Public Service Commission allows these changes to go through, it will slam the door on energy choice and hurt every family trying to lower their bills and generate their own clean energy. We should be encouraging solar and innovation, not punishing people for investing in the future.”
Currently, customers with rooftop solar receive fair credit for any excess energy their systems produce. Now, AEP is asking the Public Service Commission to approve a dramatic cut to this fair crediting rate. Furthermore, the AEP proposal required unworkable timelines; customers who wished to avoid the credit cuts needed to have the interconnection paperwork for their solar energy systems submitted by December 31, 2024 — with projects given a ‘certificate of completion’ by the utility by April 30, 2025. Anything later than that, and customers would be stuck with the dramatically lower net-metering rate.
“By requesting that new rates be backdated, AEP literally tried to retroactively strip hundreds of West Virginians of their net metering before the PSC had even issued a decision in the case,” said Dan Conant, CEO of Solar Holler. “The worst part is, this is just one more example of AEP putting corporate profit over people and treating solar generators as second-class customers.”
News item from Solar United Neighbors
