Anyone else dealing with this new EIMP rider on ComEd bills? They're charging $2.47 per month for residential customers and up to $47.83 for large commercial accounts. The tariff sheet is vague as hell about what specific infrastructure improvements this is funding. I've got three clients in downtown Chicago asking me what the deal is. Has anyone successfully challenged one of these blanket infrastructure riders before?
ComEd's ridiculous Energy Infrastructure Modernization Program rider
Yuri, I'm seeing the same thing with AES Indiana here in Indianapolis. Their Distribution System Improvement Charge just jumped 23% this quarter. The ICC filing mentions smart grid upgrades but no itemized breakdown. These riders are becoming cash cows for utilities. I filed a formal complaint on behalf of a manufacturing client - we'll see where it goes.
Connecticut Light & Power tried to sneak through a similar rider last year. We caught them double-billing for pole replacements that were already covered under their base distribution rates. The PURA hearing was brutal - they had to refund $1.2 million to customers. Always cross-reference these rider expenditures against their annual infrastructure reports.
Xcel Energy up here in Minneapolis has been more transparent with their transmission cost recovery rider. They publish quarterly reports showing exactly which projects the funds are going toward. Still expensive as hell though - my commercial clients are seeing $200-400 monthly increases. But at least we can verify the expenditures match the collections.
FirstEnergy in Cleveland has three different infrastructure riders running simultaneously. The Distribution Modernization Rider, the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Rider, and something called theGridmod II Rider. Combined they're adding $18-25 per month to residential bills. The kicker? Half these projects were supposed to be completed by 2010 but they keep extending the collection period.
PG&E out here in California is the worst. Their Gas Transmission and Storage rate has increased 340% since 2008. They claim it's all post-San Bruno pipeline safety improvements but the math doesn't add up. I've documented over $50 million in questionable expenditures that seem more like routine maintenance being reclassified as safety upgrades.
Thanks everyone. Sounds like this is a nationwide problem. I'm going to dig deeper into ComEd's ICC filings and see if I can find the smoking gun. Greg, let me know how your AES complaint turns out - we might need to coordinate a multi-state approach to these bogus riders.
Will do Yuri. I'm also reaching out to some attorneys who specialize in utility law. These riders are essentially blank checks and the PUCs aren't providing adequate oversight. Time to push back hard.