The important thing to note is that all Mn Power rate payers will be facing substantially increased power bills, since Mn Power is simply passing these special iron mining company rate reductions onto every Mn Power rate payer. To be clear, this kind of special treatment for any class of rate payer should be at the expense of Mn Power, not the rest of its rate payers. The huge rate increases expected because of this "deal" will especially hit hard rate payers who are living on fixed incomes. So while Mn Power takes credit for its generosity to the Mn mining companies, the real credit should go to the Mn Power rate payers who are really subsidizing this unfair business decision by MP.
please do not pass the pay ray hike to just residential users. The mining companies should have to pay their share since they are large users. Its not fair to smaller users to pay for the larger users.
I am a senior citizen who recently moved to Duluth, MN. I am worried about an increase in my electric bill as I am on a fixed income. I am retired (for over 15 years) and plan to live a LONG time here in the Northwoods. So any increase will be devastating.
We are seniors and are both residential customer and small shareholder of MN Power. Our home is very average We are on a fixed income pension that has not changed in the 23 years I have been retired plus our social security. We utilize both MPL's "standard residential service" and their "dual fuel service". Our present average monthly payments for the combined services is $308 per month which equates to over $3600 per year. During the colder months our utility consumption is 4,000 to 5,000 Kwh's. MPL's estimated increase as shown is based on an average usage of 750 Kwh's per month. Therefore we have no idea what our increase will be comparing our high usage to the average. Further, the mining operations and similar heavy industry users usually operate with a "take or pay" contract with MPL. Therefore, they are still paying MPL a very significant amount even though the plants are idled. Any increase should not be borne only by the middle class as requested by MPL and proposed by our legislators. Too many of the middle class in MPL's area are seniors living on relatively fixed incomes such as we.
According to information in the Duluth News Tribune, the cut of rate to MN Power industrial users is a very small amount in the big picture of these users. It appears to us that MN Power is asking for a rate hike for its residential and small business owners in order to keep MN Powers bottom line healthy while their industrial users are experiencing economic slow-downs At this time its stock is selling at approximately $50 a share and its dividend return is about 4%. This is an encouraging portfolio -- one that can absorb the shortfall of industrial income. We ask that the Commission deny MN Power's request for rate adjustments for its residential and small business users.
I post here from a different perspective as a machine manufacturing business in Duluth and large commercial user of power. We are now faced with a potentially significant rate increase. I am told this is justified because we are subsidized by the mines. If so please provide this data comparing rates regionally and nationally. Our monthly MP bill seems fair at the base rate level, but they use a demand charge billing scheme that raises this significantly based on a peak usage formula. We also compete globally against European and Asian companies and are a significant employer. During good times for steel companies their prices go straight north and we are forced to pay for their increases with no help. How is this fair?
John Bray over 8 years ago
http://m.virginiamn.com/news/local/mp-arcelormittal-sign--year-power-deal/article_e61320b4-932f-11e5-bf4c-f7f8023a643f.html?mode=jqm
The important thing to note is that all Mn Power rate payers will be facing substantially increased power bills, since Mn Power is simply passing these special iron mining company rate reductions onto every Mn Power rate payer. To be clear, this kind of special treatment for any class of rate payer should be at the expense of Mn Power, not the rest of its rate payers. The huge rate increases expected because of this "deal" will especially hit hard rate payers who are living on fixed incomes. So while Mn Power takes credit for its generosity to the Mn mining companies, the real credit should go to the Mn Power rate payers who are really subsidizing this unfair business decision by MP.
Sonja Daniels over 8 years ago
please do not pass the pay ray hike to just residential users. The mining companies should have to pay their share since they are large users. Its not fair to smaller users to pay for the larger users.
Ellyn Wiens over 8 years ago
I am a senior citizen who recently moved to Duluth, MN. I am worried about an increase in my electric bill as I am on a fixed income. I am retired (for over 15 years) and plan to live a LONG time here in the Northwoods. So any increase will be devastating.
M A Englund about 8 years ago
We are seniors and are both residential customer and small shareholder of MN Power. Our home is very average We are on a fixed income pension that has not changed in the 23 years I have been retired plus our social security. We utilize both MPL's "standard residential service" and their "dual fuel service". Our present average monthly payments for the combined services is $308 per month which equates to over $3600 per year. During the colder months our utility consumption is 4,000 to 5,000 Kwh's. MPL's estimated increase as shown is based on an average usage of 750 Kwh's per month. Therefore we have no idea what our increase will be comparing our high usage to the average. Further, the mining operations and similar heavy industry users usually operate with a "take or pay" contract with MPL. Therefore, they are still paying MPL a very significant amount even though the plants are idled. Any increase should not be borne only by the middle class as requested by MPL and proposed by our legislators. Too many of the middle class in MPL's area are seniors living on relatively fixed incomes such as we. According to information in the Duluth News Tribune, the cut of rate to MN Power industrial users is a very small amount in the big picture of these users. It appears to us that MN Power is asking for a rate hike for its residential and small business owners in order to keep MN Powers bottom line healthy while their industrial users are experiencing economic slow-downs At this time its stock is selling at approximately $50 a share and its dividend return is about 4%. This is an encouraging portfolio -- one that can absorb the shortfall of industrial income. We ask that the Commission deny MN Power's request for rate adjustments for its residential and small business users.
Gary Moline about 8 years ago
I post here from a different perspective as a machine manufacturing business in Duluth and large commercial user of power. We are now faced with a potentially significant rate increase. I am told this is justified because we are subsidized by the mines. If so please provide this data comparing rates regionally and nationally. Our monthly MP bill seems fair at the base rate level, but they use a demand charge billing scheme that raises this significantly based on a peak usage formula. We also compete globally against European and Asian companies and are a significant employer. During good times for steel companies their prices go straight north and we are forced to pay for their increases with no help. How is this fair?