Alabama Power's "Rate Freeze": More Like a Slow Cooker for Your Bank Account
So, Alabama Power wants us to believe they're doing us a solid with this "rate freeze" thing? Yeah, right. One day after After WBRC Investigation, Alabama Power proposes rate freeze; how would it affect your bill? investigates the outrageous bills Alabamians are getting, suddenly they’re hand-delivering proposals? Please. That’s not a coincidence; that's damage control.
They're freezing some adjustable rate factors—Rate CNP, Rate ECR interim factor—through 2027, maybe 2028. Okay, fine. But what are they really freezing? And more importantly, what are they not freezing? Christina Tidwell at the Southern Environmental Law Center gets it. "To fully understand the impact...customers deserve full bill transparency." Exactly! Where's the breakdown? Where's the transparency?
It's like they're dangling a shiny object to distract us from the fact that they're still picking our pockets. "Rate stability," they call it. I call it a carefully crafted illusion.
Smoke and Mirrors, Courtesy of Alabama Power
This whole thing smells fishy, and it ain't the Gulf Coast shrimp. They want to keep any refunds owed to ratepayers and use those funds for a "Natural Disaster Reserve" that's already in the red. A negative balance? Seriously? How does that even happen? It's like saying, "Hey, we screwed up, so we're gonna use your money to fix our mess." Thanks, guys. Real classy.
And get this: Alabama Power declined to answer WBRC's questions about whether this measure would defer costs and whether larger increases would follow. Instead, they tried to schedule an off-the-record meeting. Off the record? What are they trying to hide? I mean, offcourse, they don't want to show their hand. I don't know about you, but that sets off all kinds of alarm bells in my head.
Then there's the nuclear production tax credits. They want to use those to offset future costs. Okay, great. But how much are we talking about? What's the timeline? They're conveniently leaving out all the juicy details, aren't they?
John Dodd from Energy Alabama nailed it: "At the core of it, what Alabama Power is proposing is not a rate reduction but a deferral." It's not about saving us money; it's about delaying the inevitable pain. It's like putting your credit card bill on hold for a few months, knowing damn well you're gonna have to pay it eventually, with interest.
The Election Year Ploy
Let's be real: this whole thing is politically motivated. Dodd also pointed out that the proposal allows commission members to "take a victory lap before election season comes.” It's a way for them to look good without actually doing anything substantial.
And Alabama Power's sister company, Georgia Power, pulled the same stunt. A rate freeze after three years of increases. It's a playbook, people. A cynical, calculated move to keep the masses from revolting.
I mean, am I the only one seeing this? Or am I just too jaded? Nah, I don't think so.
The PSC could approve this garbage, modify it, or reject it outright. But let's not kid ourselves. Even if they reject it, Alabama Power will find another way to screw us over. It's what they do best.
So, What's the Real Story Here?
It's a con, plain and simple. A PR stunt disguised as a helping hand. They're not freezing rates out of the goodness of their hearts; they're doing it to avoid bad press and keep the gravy train rolling. Don't fall for it.
