By Erica Peterson
Louisville, KY – Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities will go before the Public Service Commission Wednesday to argue for rate increases. The utilities plan to pay $2.5 billion to install environmental upgrades, and if approved, the costs will be passed on to customers. Jeremy Fisher is a scientist with a Boston-based energy consulting firm. He'll testify at the hearing on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, which are intervening in the case. Fisher says there are flaws in LG&E and KU's analysis. For one, the companies didn't consider greenhouse gas regulation in deciding how many coal-fired plants to retire or retrofit.
"As far as we are aware, they are the only utility that we've come across in quite awhile and looking at a range of dockets this year, they are the only utility that does not consider the risk of greenhouse gas regulation to their coal fleet. And it's a very serious risk."
Fisher says it's also short-sighted of the company to not consider any renewable sources of energy in its analysis.