Fight back against Kentucky Power's attempt to raise rates and sabotage clean energy – during a pandemic

Kentuckians know we deserve clean, affordable energy that works for all of us. We need electricity rates and programs that help us thrive – not hold us back or make it harder to get by. But despite the economic crisis we’re in, a monopoly utility serving large sections of eastern Kentucky – Kentucky Power – is trying once again to raise our rates and make it harder for us to benefit from energy efficiency and rooftop solar.

Right now, it’s more important than ever to keep showing up for our families and our neighbors. If you get your energy from Kentucky Power–or if you don't but still feel a stake in this case–please take a few minutes to send a public comment to the Kentucky Public Service Commission, which has the power to allow or deny Kentucky Power’s attempted rate increase.

Here are just a few ways Kentucky Power's proposal puts profit over the wellbeing of our families and communities. To get more detail on each of these points, click here.

• Kentucky Power’s proposal punishes prospective rooftop solar customers by devaluing solar energy in a way that would put rooftop solar out of reach for most households. How the PSC decides on this question of solar net metering rates will also set an important precedent for the rest of the state.
• Kentucky Power’s proposal increases the average monthly bill by $23.16, or 16%, making it harder for eastern Kentuckians to make end’s meet. However, Kentucky Power’s offer of bill forgiveness on accounts that were more than 30 days late on May 28th is a welcome step!

• Kentucky Power claims to be helping out low-income customers with a “declining block rate” during winter months. But this block rate disincentivizes energy efficiency and would make homes that use little or moderate amounts of energy will pay more. The best way to help out low-income customers would be to not increase our rates at all. 

• Kentucky Power’s proposal requests a $36 million investment in “smart meters,”; this will allow Kentucky Power to keep raising rates in coming years in order to pay for that investment and to profit shareholders.

Comments from everyday Kentuckians like you help the Public Service Commission get the picture of why proposals like this are incredibly harmful. Public outcry has helped halt some of the worst utility rate proposals in the past. We can’t let up now.