$24 Million to maintain essential service in a tough economy

We’re all taking necessary actions in the face of a tough economy. For us, that has meant taking a hard look at our staffing levels this year, reducing our workforce and instituting pay freezes to cut costs. Even so, there is a major difference between us and many other businesses – power is our only product and our customers depend on it whether at home or at work. That means when times are tough, we can’t simply cut back on what we supply or the service that supports it.

As a result, part of this new rate request covers revenue lost because of the recession and labor-related increases. An adequate level of revenue is necessary to maintain the level of service our customers deserve and expect. In an ideal world, a healthy economy would help to support the investments we need to make sure the lights come on when you flip the switch. Our primary responsibility is to keep power flowing to you, and we’re taking a necessary step via a rate adjustment request to make sure that happens by maintaining the ability to invest in our system.