Katie Jickling reports on the price rises without emphasizing the real causes of customers and businesses having to seek ways around seasonal electricity price spikes. Blaming low temperatures last winter and high demand for natural gas, coupled with the limitations of the state natural gas pipeline infrastructure, has made the natural gas supply for electricity generation subject to more volatility. Costs for production and sale of electricity have also risen correspondingly, as if this came as a surprise.
The actual reason is that the people allowed Vermont Yankee Nuclear plant to be closed within the last year, which, PSNH spokesperson Lauren Collins said that this added to the anxiety about what would happen this winter. She could have said that the PSNH told the people this would happen if they turn their backs on nuclear power.
Shore emphasized that Liberty Utilities is merely passing along the increased cost of power and is not making any additional profit. Because PSNH generates much of its own electricity, the company energy supply is more consistent and prices have not spiked as dramatically, yet.
Electricity rates have risen much less dramatically in Vermont because the state relies on hydropower from HydroQuebec for a substantial amount of its power, making it less vulnerable to changes in the natural gas market.
Maybe it is time for this area to begin to either consider small modular nuclear plants to cut the price of the electricity needed by the people and industry, or pay the piper.
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