Tonight: Meeting on creating a public electric utility for DC

Advocates for creating DC’s own public electric utility are hosting a public meeting at UDC’s law school this evening, starting with a reception at 5 p.m. and the first remarks at 6. Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh is scheduled to speak. Details from the sponsoring group, dcpublicpower.org, below:

Beyond Exelon-Pepco: Creating a DC Electric Utility, Wednesday, 5 p.m.

An Exelon-Pepco Merger Does Not Work for DC Ratepayers
An Independent, Consumer-Owned Electric Utility Does

An Exelon-Pepco Merger will:
–Increase energy rates for consumers and businesses
–Shift control of DC’s energy distribution and interconnection to Chicago
–Undermine the District of Columbia’s renewable-energy initiatives

An Independent, Consumer-Owned Utility will:
–Decrease rates for consumers and businesses
–Maintain local control of DC’s power supply and distribution
–Accelerate the adoption of renewable energy in DC

Recent news that Delaware regulators and the Maryland Public Service Commission have approved the proposed $6.8 billion Exelon-Pepco merger puts major pressure on the final body left to vote – the three-member DC Public Service Commission. It is expected to decide by late August. Regardless of what the Commission decides, DC residents and ratepayers will be better off with an independent consumer-owned utility in DC than with an Exelon-Pepco merger.

Join us as we discuss:
Beyond Exelon-Pepco — Taking Charge of Our Energy Future and Creating the DC Electric Utility We Want

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 ~ Free ~

UDC School of Law
4340 Connecticut Avenue, NW (west side), 4th Floor

5 p.m. Hors D’oeuvres
6 to 8:30 p.m. – Program, Discussion
8:30 p.m. – Reception

RSVP: DCPublicPower.org/TownHall

Metro: Van Ness – UDC stop on the Red Line (http://www.wmata.com/rail/station_detail.cfm?station_id=9)
Bus: L1, L2 Bus Lines (http://www.wmata.com/bus/timetables/dc/l1-2-4.pdf)

Keynote Speaker
Ward 3 DC Councilmember Mary M. Cheh, Chair, Committee on Transportation and the Environment

Additional Speakers
David Freeman, Amit Ronen, Heather Bailey, John Kelly, Michael Siegel and Michael Overturf

Unlike investor-owned utilities, such as Exelon and Pepco, an independent, locally controlled, consumer-owned electric utility will be directly accountable to the people it serves and will deliver reliable electric service at lower rates. It can work exclusively for the interests of DC ratepayers and will not be torn by conflicts between shareholders, corporate managers, ratepayers and regulators. A publicly-owned utility will not be subject to merger threats and will help create more alternative energy options for DC residents so that by the year 2020, 20% (or more) of the electricity consumed in the District would be from renewable resources, as required by the District Renewable Portfolio Standard. A consumer-owned utility can access lower-cost financing through public credit markets. Lower capital and operating costs can be passed on to DC ratepayers and/or provide financing incentives for solar rooftops and other alternatives.

If Exelon’s proposed acquisition of Pepco doesn’t go through in DC, Pepco’s assets will continue to be in play, as Pepco has signaled its desire to exit the DC market. The DC City Council has the ultimate authority over its electric distribution system by virtue of the Council’s ability to exercise eminent domain and by its ownership and control of the public right-of-way. And to assure that current and future DC residents, businesses, and ratepayers are not irrevocably harmed by a possible Exelon-Pepco merger, the DC Council can pass a resolution and/or other necessary legislation to establish its intent to form an independent cooperative, public power district, or municipally-chartered utility to operate DC’s electrical distribution system — similar to how DC Water is organized.

More than 2,000 community-owned electric utilities serve more than 46 million people across the United States in places like Seattle and Tacoma Washington; Eugene, Oregon; Los Angeles and Sacramento California; Austin, Texas; Cleveland and Columbus Ohio; Jacksonville, Florida; Memphis and Nashville Tennessee; and the entire State of Nebraska.

This Town Hall is sponsored by DC Public Power (dcpublicpower.org), a newly created organization that supports creating an independent, consumer-owned electric utility for DC ratepayers. DCPP has applied for nonprofit status with the IRS. Read our comments to the DC Public Service Commission on Exelon-Pepco: http://tinyurl.com/mh59lc8.