Consumers received a partial victory Wednesday in the pending Pepco rate case. Responding to OPC’s request for additional discovery and evidentiary hearings to allow OPC and the parties to review new information placed on the record by Pepco in Formal Case No. 1087, the DC Public Service Commission granted, in part, OPC’s request and set a schedule for further proceedings.
Pepco’s pursuit of additional revenue has been relentless and the Company vows to continue. “OPC will not be quiet or lose sight of the goal of ensuring that consumers receive safe, adequate and reliable service in exchange for their dollars. Consumers have insisted that reliability be a key issue in this case and OPC will not relax its advocacy until we achieve this result. Public participation in the regulatory process, at every level, is crucial to achieving balanced outcomes that are in the public interest and not just a benefit for Pepco shareholders,” said the People’s Counsel.
Public participation in this proceeding has reached unprecedented levels. Consumers have expressed outrage that Pepco has sought and been allowed to recover millions of dollars in additional revenue while service quality remains dismally low. “OPC echoes ratepayer concerns,” said Sandra Mattavous-Frye, D.C. People’s Counsel. OPC requested the case be dismissed due to Pepco’s failure to establish an accurate fact based record to justify its $42.5 million rate increase or, at minimum, the parties be permitted to fully examine the new material as part of the case.
“OPC is pleased that the Commission approved its request, however, the process is not over until we see the end result,” said the People’s Counsel. Pepco must be accountable to its consumers.
Bates Area Civic Association 
The city council under Yvette Alexander’s Committee recently voted against the Mayors Nominee, former Peoples Counsel Betty Noel , esq. to serve on the Public Service Committee. Several of the committee members received up to $3,000.00 in campaign donations from Pepco. Phil Mendleson owns thousands in Pepco stock that was not revealed until recently. Pepco continues to pay the council funds each year in order to receive millions in approved rate increases. Will the Public Service Commission listen to the consumers(99%) and just say NO, or cater to the 1%. greed. Does reliability matter?