Real Estate & Property Law

Head I win, tails you lose

By Alan Ackerman

Oakland Press

Consumers Energy says it plans to implement an interim natural gas rate increase of $89 million next month.

The utility says the change would increase a residential customer's bill by about $3.50 a month, but because of lower natural gas costs the average monthly bill will be slightly lower than last winter.

The comment that Consumers successfully increased rates when the summer prices turn out to be lower than the winter prices is fascinating. Is this sort of a 'head I win, tails you lose" situation?

The utilities are avaricious in their desire to have gas storage, receive a gate fee as the gas comes in and out, and singularly jockey a little extra money along the way. Is this really what is contemplated in the pro-utility federal legislation allowing FERC to provide condemnation authority in both the state and federal courts?

Full post as published by National Eminent Domain Blog on October 28, 2009 (boomark / email).