AARP Deeply Disappointed in Draft Idaho Energy Plan

Utility Co.'s Beat Out Consumers as Plan Passes Out of Interim Committee Absent Key Consumer Protection Measures - Ignoring Public Input

BOISE, Idaho, Nov. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Round one in the debate over Idaho's draft Energy Plan has gone to the state's utility companies. The plan, which helps guide energy policy in the Gem State, was passed last week by the Interim Committee on Energy, Technology and Environment, absent the creation of a new office to advocate for consumers against utility company rate hikes, and lacking key affordability measures stripped from the plan when it was last revised in 2007.  AARP Idaho is deeply disappointed in the draft plan, which now moves to the legislature.

"It's clear whose voice was heard and whose wasn't - consumers spoke up and lost out in the current version of Idaho's Energy Plan – many must feel simply ignored," said Jim Wordelman, State Director for AARP in Idaho.  "Idaho utility companies were really the only ones opposed to creating a stronger voice and presence for consumers by establishing an office to advocate on their behalf.  They shut this issue and the needs of consumers down, for now."

Idaho is the only state in the West lacking a utility consumer advocate office to represent residential consumers and small businesses, such as farms, in rate cases and other regulatory issues before the PUC and the courts.  AARP stands in strong support of the creation of an advocate office and urged its inclusion in Idaho's draft Energy Plan.  

The Association is also greatly concerned about the process surrounding the plan's revision.  Nearly 180 comments filed by AARP members and submitted prior to the Nov. 18th deadline, never made it into the public comments before being posted this week, and thus were never seen by the committee charged with rewriting the plan.  AARP's own supplemental comments, filed with committee staff on Nov. 17th, also never made it into the public comment section on the committee's website prior to this week.

"We are disappointed in the plan to say the least, and to think that many consumers who spoke up in support of the creation of a consumer advocate office found their comments in limbo is very troubling – especially when the measure was defeated by such a narrow margin," added Wordelman.  "It's more than a little ironic, just as the state's largest utility companies are pushing for higher rates, hitting consumers with bigger utility bills at the worst time; efforts to level the playing field are quashed."

According to an AARP survey released earlier this year, over 40% of Idahoans 50 and older reported already having difficulty affording their utility bills.  In many cases, older consumers are already forced to make hard choices between turning up the thermostat and filling a prescription – higher utility bills could see more of the state's elderly struggling to afford the basics.  

"AARP will revisit the creation of the consumer advocate office in the upcoming legislative session," added Wordelman.  "We only hope the legislature will be more responsive to the needs of Idaho's residential consumers and small businesses."

AARP is Idaho's largest membership organization with over 180,000 members.

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SOURCE AARP Idaho