PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF WEST VIRGINIA CHARLESTON
CASE NO. 21-0840-E-IDS
APPALACHIAN POWER COMPANY and WHEELING POWER COMPANY, public utilities.
Application for Approval of a Written Plan for the Construction of Utility Infrastructure at a West Virginia Business Ready Site and for Associated Cost Recovery Pursuant to W. Va. Code§ 24-2-ln
NOTICE OF FILING AND HEARING
On April 12, 2022, Appalachian Power Company (APCo) and Wheeling Power Company (WPCo) (together, the Companies) filed an Amended Application, duly verified, for approval of a written plan to construct utility infrastructure at a West Virginia business ready site (the “Project”) and associated cost recovery, pursuant to W. Va. Code § 24-2-ln. The total net cost of the Project is expected to be $35.6 million.
The Project will involve the construction of transmission and distribution facilities within and into the Raleigh County Memorial Airport Industrial Park, located within APCo’s service territory, which facilities will be capable of serving initial customer load up to 30MW and potentially up to 60MW with additional investment. The goal of the Project is to retain existing industrial customers and attract new industrial customers to the benefit of the local and state economies.
The Companies’ application is on file with and available for public inspection at the Public Service Commission, 201 Brooks Street, Charleston, WV 25301.
The Companies anticipate charging the following surcharge rates in connection with the Project:
| Customer Class | Cents per kWh | $ per kW |
| Residential | 0.008 | |
| Small Commercial | 0.004 to 0.008 | 0.015 |
| Large Commercial | 0.002 to 0.016 | |
| Industrial Tariff | 0.008 to 0.023 | |
| Industrial Special Contract | Various | Various |
The average residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month would experience a rate increase of $0.08 monthly or $0.96 yearly under the Companies’ proposal.
These increased rates will result in the following average project-related increases for the total indicated class of customers to become effective October 1, 2022, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission:
| Monthly | Yearly | |||
| ($) Increase | (%) Increase | ($) Increase | (%) Increase | |
| Residential | $31,818 | 0.052% | $393,816 | 0.052% |
| Commercial | $12,970 | 0.043% | $155,635 | 0.043% |
| Industrial | $11,845 | 0.028% | $142,134 | 0.028% |
| Resale | $0 | 0% | $0 | 0% |
| Other | $0 | 0% | $0 | 0% |
Inc.
The only resale customer in West Virginia is Black Diamond Power Company,
The proposed increased rates and charges related to the Project will produce approximately $0.7 million annually in additional revenue, an increase of 0.030%, during the first rate year.
The increases shown are based on averages of all customers in the indicated class. Individual customers may receive increases that are greater or less than the average. Furthermore, the total requested rates and charges and resulting increases for the various classes of customers are only a proposal and are subject to change (increases or decreases) by the Public Service Commission in its review of the Companies’ filing.
The Commission has set a procedural schedule, including a hearing on the Companies’ application, if necessary, that will begin at 9:30 a.m. on August 3, 2022, in the Howard M. Cunningham Hearing Room at the Commission’s offices at 201 Brooks Street, Charleston, West Virginia. If no opposition to the Companies’ application is received, the hearing may be waived and the Commission may issue a final order within 150 days of the application filing date.
Anyone desiring to intervene in the matter should file a written petition to intervene no later than June 27, 2022, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission. All requests to intervene should briefly state the reason for the request and comply with the rules on intervention set forth in the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure. The Commission will receive public comments until the beginning of the hearing. All written comments and requests to intervene should state the case name and number and be addressed to Karen Buckley, Executive Secretary, P.O. Box 812, Charleston, WV 25323.
Public comments may also be filed online at http://www.psc.state.wv.us/scriptsionlinecomments/default.cfm by clicking the “Formal Case” link.
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