Doctorshoper

Honorable Senador  Ramón Luis Nieves

Presidente de la Comisión de Banca, Seguros y Telecomunicaciones.

El Capitolio P.O Box 9023431

San Juan, Puerto Rico. 00902-3431

 

Asunto: Ponencia sobre la Reforma Energética del Senado de Puerto Rico.

 

Estimado Senador;

Agradecemos la oportunidad que se le brinda Gilberto Arvelo, conocido públicamente como Doctorshoper y quien viene en representación de sobre 30,000 consumidores que están registrados en el portal Doctorshoper.com, de expresar sus comentarios en torno a la pretensión del Senado de Puerto Rico a través de 16 Resoluciones del Senado para crear una Reforma Energética.

 

Nosotros en www.doctorshoper.com en principios respaldamos toda iniciativa genuina que ayude a los consumidores a reducir el costo de la electricidad que consume que bastante caro y malo que esta. Lo que no podemos respaldar son proyectos de ley que sean inconsistentes y que les creen a los consumidores falsas expectativas a través de semi verdades.

 

La gran mayoría de los consumidores están molestos con la AEE por las siguientes razones:

1. Un servicio al cliente deficiente. Trate de llamar para un problema y se muere esperando que le contesten.
2. Un sistema de reclamación por parte de los consumidores al momento de poder reclamar si por causa de la autoridad se le daña un enser eléctrico.
3. Una infraesctutura cada día en decadencia. Donde yo resido por más de 25 anos cada vez que llueve con un poco de viento su nos va la luz.
4. La falta de consistencia en el cobro de la electricidad ya que nunca uno sabe cuál sería su gasto del mes.
5. Los que pagamos subsidiando a cuanta entidad esta legislatura le vienen en gana.

 

Entre las semi verdades que esta legislatura es el compararnos en los que el costo energético se refiere con los Estados Unidos. Con el éxodo masivo de residentes de Puerto Rico a los Estados Unidos en especial a la Florida Central constantemente se hacen comparaciones con el costo de la Isla. La comparación real seria con el estado de Hawái  (35.10 centavos KWH 2012) cuya infraestructura es similar a la de Puerto Rico y el costo de electricidad es más cara que en la Isla.  Eso sin mencionar el costo en las Islas Vírgenes. Ustedes legisladores se creen que las 16 medidas que está sometiendo este Senado redundarían en la reducción del costo de la energía ya estuvieran implementadas y/o bajo evaluación legislativa en ambas jurisdicciones.

 

Nosotros en www.doctorshoper.com no estamos en contra de la privatización aunque en el caso de las electricidades prácticamente todas los intentos nunca les han sido de beneficio a los consumidores ya que al final han tenido que pagar más. A continuación ejemplos de aumentos de tarifas en diferentes estados:

Recent Examples of Rate Increases in Vertically Integrated States

Recent Examples of Rate Increases in Vertically Integrated States

THE SOUTH
Consumers in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s seven-state service territory will pay 20 percent more for electricity starting this October. That translates into a $12 to $15 increase per 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month. The rate hike was factored into TVA's 2009 budget, which includes $12.6 billion to cover operating expenses and nearly $2.1 billion for new capital investments.

ALABAMA
A typical customer of Alabama Power Company will pay almost $200 a year more, or about $16 per month, for electricity under a rate hike of 14.6 percent, starting October 9th pending approval by the state Public Utility Commission. Electricity costs would also rise about 16 percent for commercial users and an average of 25 percent for industrial customers, if the entire request is approved.

COLORADO
For the average customer in Denver, Colorado, Xcel Energy’s electric bills have increased by nearly 28 percent since February of this year. The rise was due to increases in what Xcel pays for materials, such as coal and gas.

FLORIDA
If approved by Florida regulators, Progress Energy Florida’s customers could face a stunning 31 percent increase in their electric bills next year. Progress is the state’s second largest power company. Meanwhile, Florida Power & Light customers are being hit with a 16 percent electricity rate hike. If approved, the increase will add close to $20 per month to the average residential customer’s bill.

Effective July 1, Lakeland Electric, the third largest muni in Florida, hiked its rates by 14 percent. The new rate will mean $11.57 added to the customer’s monthly bill. According to Lakeland Electric’s research, the Jacksonville utility has raised it fuel rate by 37 percent, the Orlando utility by 34 percent, Florida Light & Power by 31 percent, Progress Energy by 20 percent and the Gainesville utility by 10 percent. Of those increase, only Gainesville’s increased is effective in July, the others are staggered between July and October of this year.

GEORGIA
Residential customers of Georgia Power will pay an additional $2.93 a month because of a deal between the company and the state. The Georgia Public Service Commission voted 3-2 to allow Georgia Power to recoup $222 million from residential customers to pay for rising fuel costs. Approval of the year long charge came after the initially proposed surcharge was partially shifted away from industrial consumers and onto residential consumers. A decision will be made next year on whether to establish seasonally adjusted fuel cost rates.

KANSAS
Westar Energy is seeking a rate hike of 15 percent on residential customers in both its north and south regions. The average residential customer would see a monthly increase of $9.62 in Westar’s northern region and a $10.34 hike in its southern region. Westar filed with the Kansas Corporation Commission to request an increase in its rates to recover the cost of investments made in new natural gas plants and equipment to meet customers growing energy needs as well as recovering costs of restoring its system following last December’s ice storm.

MISSOURI
Consumers of Cuba, Missouri’s Sho-Me Power will pay almost 28 percent more this year for electricity. Sho-Me Power received an increase of 25.3 percent from its supplier, Associated Electric Cooperative, and passed the rate increase, with a little extra for good measure, on to its consumers.

NORTH CAROLINA
Dominion North Carolina Power plans to increase customer rates by an average of 17.7 percent, effective January 1, 2009 if approved. For a typical customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month, the bill would increase $16.04 per month.

Residential customers of Progress Energy may see their bills jump from about $97 to nearly $113 per month – a 16 percent increase. If the North Carolina Utilities Commission approves the request, the rate increase will go into effect on December 1. Progress is seeking to cover the cost of fuel needed to run its plants saying that most of the increase is caused by rising coal prices. Progress uses coal to generate about half of its electricity in the Carolinas. The price of coal has risen 160 percent this year.

Duke Energy filed a rate increase request with state regulators. If approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the average monthly bill of a North Carolina customer would increase $3.00. The Charlotte-based company also plans to ask for an increase in South Carolina of up to 10 percent, or about $8.00 per month. The North Carolina hike would take effect in September and the South Carolina in October.

OKLAHOMA
Base rates for state-owned Grand River Dam Authority will rise 11.95 percent on January 1, 2010 barring a sharp increase in economic activity.  The rise is needed to service debt, officials of the utility say.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Progress Energy Carolinas asked the South Carolina Public Service Commission to increase rates paid by their customers by about 6 percent. The company is seeking recovery of the cost to reduce fossil-fueled plant emissions as well as the cost of emission allowances. For a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month, the total increase, if approved, would be about $6.00, rising to about $102.20 from the current $96.33. In addition, Progress is asking the S.C. PSC to approve a $39 million increase in the fuel component of its rates to recoup fuel costs and to meet future fuel costs. Increased fuel costs represent about $5.00 and the other $1.00 increase on a 1,000 kWh residential bill is to recover the cost of emission allowances. If approved by the Commission, the average increase would be about 7.2 percent for commercial customers and 9.4 percent for industrial customers, effective July 1.

Duke Energy filed a rate increase request with state regulators. The Charlotte-based company plans to ask for an increase in South Carolina of up to 10 percent, or about $8.00 per month. The hike would take effect in October.

http://www.competecoalition.com/resources/recent-examples-rate-increases-vertically-integrated-states

 

A continuación las razones más importantes que les da la empresa que provee electricidad a los consumidores en Hawái en relación a su costo.

 

Top Reasons for Energy Costs in Hawaii

 

The price of oil, which is used to make electricity, has been increasing and is much higher than historically. Due to Hawaii’s need for oil for ground, sea and air transportation, our state has traditionally been an oil-based economy. Oil for electricity is refined from the same barrel imported for transportation use. It is a system that made more sense when the cost of oil was relatively low.  Now high fuel prices are affecting the cost of nearly all goods and services in Hawaii, including gasoline, airline tickets, shipping and electricity. We now need to change Hawaii’s dependence on imported oil by seriously increasing energy-efficiency and conservation and using more renewable energy sources to increase Hawaii’s energy security and address concerns about global warming. It will take more investment in facilities to harness renewable resources and upgrade the electric grid to reliably integrate large amounts of variable renewable energy resources. This will increase costs in the short-term but will help reduce our dependence on imported oil and provide more stable and even lower prices than if we maintain the current level of dependence on oil. We don’t have one electrical system; Hawaii actually has six separate systems (one for each island, other than Niihau and Kahoolawe) and that increases costs. Our electric systems are very small by national and international standards.  Without economies of scale, island systems are much more expensive to operate. The population base that supports each system is small and that increases per person costs.  Because we cannot get power through a national grid like mainland utilities, we have to maintain greater power reserves and that back-up costs more money. We can’t purchase surplus (and therefore, cheaper) power from other systems because we are not connected to other systems. We don’t have large-scale hydro projects like the dams in the West or the Tennessee Valley Authority that provide cheap power (though at substantial environmental cost.)  We also don't rely much on coal, which is currently a “cheaper” source of fuel for many mainland U.S. utilities.  On the other hand, that’s good for our island environment, especially since burning coal is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Because of factors like shipping costs, the cost of goods and doing business in general is higher in Hawaii. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in new or upgraded facilities to maintain or improve our electric system over the years.  New infrastructure increases costs. Vamos a las inconistencias; Como indicara anteriormente, no estamos en contra de la privatización, pero si se va a privatizar el sistema de electricidad de Puerto Rico que sea todo, no semi privatizaciones o privatizaciones hibridas como lo que se exponen a través de las diferentes medidas propuestas por el Senado. Si alguna empresa le interesa el negocio de la electricidad de la Isla que sea el jamón y el hueso. Aquí los políticos van a los medios a hablar de la privatización con el propósito de fomentar la libre competencia comparándola con la industria de la telefonía celular. Lo que no explican es que para esas compañías competir entre sí tuvieron que invertir dinero creando su propia infra estructura de distribución. Existe alguna propuesta o medida legislativa que promueva la inversión en infraestructura de distribución de electricidad. No existe ya que ese es el hueso y con la situación económica continúa disminuyendo la cantidad de clientes. Otra de las medidas que se están contemplando es la de la creación de varias entidades gubernamentales para fiscalizar la autoridad. Una está relacionada con darle la responsabilidad de las tarifas a la Junta Reglamentadora de Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico y la otra es crear la oficina del procurador del consumidor ante la AEE.  La primera no tiene ningún sentido ya que toda la Junta está estructurada alrededor de las comunicaciones incluyendo los 5 miembros y no tienen ninguna experiencia en asuntos energéticos. La segunda es la creación de Oficina del Defensor de los Consumidores ante la autoridad propuesta por AARP. Esta oficina tiene un costo cual AARP nunca ha dicho el mismo. En otras palabras otro gasto más que nosotros los consumidores tendríamos que costear. Si AARP quiere de verdad ayudar a los consumidores en especial a sus representados que de su presupuesto millonario de cabildeo que saquen una partida y la donen como una asignación fija para costear dicha oficina. Pero proponer para que pague otro así cualquiera. Le quieren tumbar la dieta los representantes electos por los consumidores pero quieren crear un invento nuevo que nos va a costar. Quiero reiterar que en www.doctorshoper.com no estamos en contra de que creen entidades fiscalizadoras de beneficio a los consumidores. Como el Senado critica a la actual Junta de Gobierno cuando la misma fue nombrada por el propio Gobernador. Si se están quejando de la misma porque no sustituyen los miembros nombrados por el Gobernador. Mientras las ventas de la Autoridad están bajando constantemente y existe una sobre capacidad de generación los proyectos del Senado atienden la situación y solo proponen privatizar dicha generación. En economía a menor demanda mayor el precio. En www.doctorshoper.com nos preguntamos porque en la Autoridad hay 2 supervisores por cada 5 empleados. El Senado no atiende ese problema. En www.doctorshoper.com nos gustaría conocer cual es la compensación que nosotros los consumidores le pagamos a los empleados ejecutivos de la AEE. En otras jurisdicciones lo publican en el Internet. Existe algún proyecto del Senado de los radicados que atiende eso. En www.doctorshoper.com nos gustaría saber quiénes son las entidades o individuos que están cabildeando detrás de estas medidas. En www.doctorshoper.com nos gustaría conocer con certeza cual sería el precio del kilovatio hora al privatizar la generación y por cuánto tiempo nos garantizan dicho precio.

 

 

En www.doctorshoper.com recomendamos que esta legislación antes de aprobar una Reforma Energética  deficiente, deba de dejar de tratar de correr la Autoridad desde Puerta de Tierra ya que la culpa de lo que los consumidores estamos viviendo se debe a la toma de decisiones  políticas. Basta ya de estar legislando para las gradas.

 

Atentamente,

Gilberto Arvelo

Doctorshoper.com