Letter to the editor
Protesting Entergy rate hike request Dear Editor,
At the July 11 city council meeting, I used the public comment format to protest Entergy’s latest request to raise their rates. Having attended city council meetings both personally and professionally for nine years now, I can tell you this is just the latest in a long line of rate increases Entergy has sought and may be the highest. According to agenda documents, if approved by the PUC (Public Utilities Commission), residential customers could see a monthly increase of $13.50 for 1,000 kilowatts (KWh) of usage, excluding fuel costs.
City of Navasota minutes will confirm that Sept. 27, 2021, the City denied Entergy’s request for an increase; however, they made their case to the PUC. It’s hard to get specific since Entergy charges one per KWh rate for energy charges and another for fuel charges, but I can tell you that for this same period one year ago, the KWh energy recovery cost rate was $0.000914 and the fuel charge per KWh rate was $0.0297139. One year and a rate increase later, this year’s energy recovery cost is $0.001027 and the fuel charge is $0.0380659 – and now they want $13.50 more!
What I am particularly angry about is, if I interpreted the public notice published in the July 6 Navasota Examiner correctly, this latest increase is charging residential customers for electric car transportation usage. I consider a person’s choice of car just that – personal! If you want to plug in your vehicle, then YOU pay for the charging station and YOU pay for the electricity just as I pay for gasoline for my gas powered car. This is not something to cost-shift to all electric utility customers. The bottom line is I am being forced to pay for a service I don’t/won’t use and a green agenda I don’t support.
Entergy is requesting the rate increase be effective Aug. 5. The Lawton Law Firm representing multiple municipalities is requesting a delay to Nov. 3 to adequately review the merits of the request.
City legal counsel is sharing my protest of this rate hike with the steering committee representing the interests of the City and Entergy users. If you are opposed to the rate hike, please email your concerns as soon as possible to Mayor Bert Miller at bmiller@ navasotatx.gov.
Connie Clements Navasota