By Ruth Sawyer, Beyond Coal Organizer
October has been a momentous month in Washington State! With cold weather already arriving in many parts of the state, state regulators have taken actions to ensure that Washington utility customers won't have to worry about their electricity or heat getting shut off this winter if they cannot make payments.
This favorable decision came after a series of hearings where the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) commissioners considered consumer protections needed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 250 people from all over the state joined in to voice support for clean energy and debt-free utilities for all, and over 1400 sent in written comments.
As a result of this strong showing, the UTC commissioners decided to extend the moratorium on disconnections for nonpayment through April 30, 2021 for residential and small-business customers, ordered utilities to stop charging late fees, and ordered utilities to disclose data that will help us hold them accountable in the future. Governor Inslee followed suit shortly after by extending the moratorium on shutoffs for all utilities statewide until December 31st.
While this is a big win for struggling Washington families, the question of who will pay for additional COVID-19 assistance remains to be decided. We are asking that private utilities cut into executive compensation and shareholder profits rather than asking the UTC to raise rates for all Washingtonians -- and we think they can easily afford it. The top executives of the state’s private utilities made a combined 90 million dollars last year, and their shareholders make even more.
After an overwhelming demonstration of support for clean energy and debt-free utilities for all, we are hopeful that we can continue to build on this momentum by making some of the protections we've won here permanent, and by ensuring that the companies that profit from selling utilities in this state do right by our communities.
Join us at an upcoming proceeding in November to ensure that we live in a state where people’s health and wellbeing, not corporate profits, can drive policymakers’ decisions.
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