Manufacturers: ‘Goldplating’ is Increasing Electricity Costs

At their meeting this week, members of the OMA Energy Committee heard a presentation by Anthony Smith and Tim Ling. Smith is Global Energy Coordinator at Cooper Tire and Rubber Company. Ling is Corporate Environmental Director at Plaskolite, LLC. The duo are heavily involved in energy policy and serve as board members of the OMA Energy Group.

They detailed the growth of electric distribution and transmission charges at a time when generation charges have been decreasing. They also described how much subsidy is now included in customers’ bills. And, they described how utilities are aggressively charging more for transmission under the guise of grid modernization.

Their conclusions about ‘goldplating’ are validated in this recent USA Today article that describes utility overspending. 3/14/2019