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Charlotte Amalie
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesPSC Says Hansen Petition Over LEAC Wasted Time and Money

PSC Says Hansen Petition Over LEAC Wasted Time and Money

Outraged over the absence of Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen from their Tuesday night board meeting, Public Services Commission members unanimously voted to deny her petition to stay the recent increase in Levelized Energy Adjustment Clause (LEAC) rates.

Hansen is pushing a bill in the Senate to eliminate the LEAC after the next two billing cycles, and filed the petition with the PSC as an additional measure to keep the increase from July 1 to Sept. 30 from moving forward. But Hansen did not show up Tuesday to support her request, even though she is an ex-officio member of the board.

"She didn’t have the courage to come and defend a petition that she put before this commission, which is a total disrespect for the commission…" said PSC chairman Donald "Ducks" Cole. "And the resources that we have to utilize to consider this, the same ratepayers that we are supposed to be looking out for are paying for this. It’s wasting ratepayers’ money — it’s a waste, a waste, a waste, and it really bothers me."

PSC member M. Thomas Jackson had stronger words for Hansen, and members of the public who he said still do not appear to understand how the LEAC works.

"I don’t see why supposedly educated — and I say that because educated doesn’t necessarily mean intelligent — people can’t understand that if you don’t have the same price of fuel that you had 10 years ago to run your plant, then to run that plant is going to cost you whatever the price of fuel increase is," he said.

"The people of this territory have to understand that there is one of two things they can do: they can either pay for the fuel and learn to conserve and live within their means, or they have to learn to live in darkness," Jackson said.

Jackson applauded V .I. Water and Power Authority Executive Director Hugo Hodge Jr. for holding a press conference earlier Tuesday to address public concerns about the LEAC, and to explain how the surcharge works. Hodge also elaborated on the details of the government’s agreement with Hovensa for purchasing oil.

Jackson said he hopes the public listens more to what Hodge said at the press conference than to the "Judas goats in the community that are leading us down the path of destruction."

"We’ve really got some dumbasses that got degrees — yes I said the word — and I’m tired of sitting here and hearing the same foolishness over and over and over," Jackson said. "Personally, if I had my way, there would be no LEAC hearing. If the cost of fuel goes up, the LEAC would go up with it."

PSC members voting to deny Hansen’s petition were Cole, Verne C. David, Jackson and Elsie Thomas-Trotman. Board member Sirri Hamad was absent.

The commission also considered granting a request from Innovative for a waiver of federal requirements to provide local number portability, which would allow phone users to keep their number when switching providers. Choice Communications, a cell service provider and competitor to Innovative, filed a request in January with the Federal Communications Commission that Innovative be required to comply with the portability requirement.

"We’re in the midst of a big modernization program where we’re replacing our core switch infrastructure on the island," Seth Davis, Innovative’s chief executive officer, said at Tuesday’s meeting. "It will be a lot less expensive to implement it after that’s in place that if it’s done now. It would be a lot more secure … if we implemented it today, we would be tied into off-island connectivity to routing every call that is placed on the network as opposed to just local calls."

Representatives from AT&T, Sprint and Choice attended the meeting, and were all opposed to the waiver for Innovative. Commission members decided to give Innovative a temporary stay until Sept. 30.

The recent crash of the Royal Miss Belmar ferry — operated by V.I. SeaTrans — was also discussed Tuesday. The ferry, which runs between St. Thomas and St. Croix, grounded onto Great St. James Island during the July 4 weekend, injuring five passengers (including a baby).

PSC members were discouraged that SeaTrans’ attorney did not show up to the meeting, delaying the discussion. While some members discussed asking the company to give up its route, SeaTrans operations manager Ricky Banes said he is not sure when the ferry would be up and running again since Coast Guard regulations are preventing their temporary boat from traveling the route.

SeaTrans will be appearing at the PSC’s next hearing to give more details. The two ferry companies operating between St. Thomas and St. John will be appearing within the 30 days for a special hearing on St. John.

PSC members present Tuesday were Cole, David, Jackson and Thomas-Trotman.

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