Lawmakers are talking energy regulation, although they’re not agreeing on much.
Back in 2015, lawmakers passed a bill that froze utility rates in place — a law that allows Dominion Power and Appalachian Power to keep rates where they are now and pocket the extra profits. Now Delegate Sam Rasoul, a Democrat from Roanoke, says it’s time to lift the rate freeze.
“We have got to repeal what I believe is the most corrupt utility law ever passed in Virginia history.”
Corrupt, he says, because Dominion gives money to most lawmakers and paid a significant portion of the expenses of last weekend’s inaugural events. Plus the utility has an army of lobbyists walking the halls of the Capitol. David Bodkins runs Dominion’s media relations, and he says the utility opposes lifting the rate freeze.
“Because it doesn’t do anything other than repeal the rate freeze. It doesn’t require a reinvestment of the earnings into the grid system.”
Monday afternoon, the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted to kill a bill that would lift the rate freeze introduced by Senator Chap Petersen, a Democrat from Fairfax County.
“Once you get this bill outside of this committee, get it on the floor of the General Assembly, get it out in the greater public the dynamics are going to change radically because this issue is a no-brainer politically.”
Delegate Rasoul still has his bill to lift the rate freeze. But he'll have to figure out some way it get it out of committee — a committee whose members take a significant amount of campaign cash from Dominion.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
