IBEW identifies electric deregulation concerns

Energy is an essential service, not a commodity.

That concept is what the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers believes. The state and national IBEW, along with the AFL-CIO, consumer groups like the AARP and environmental groups like the Sierra Club, want to educate the public and the state legislature about the complex issue of deregulation.

It's all about money, said Melanie Newman, who acts as the voice and director of Mis-sourians for Affordable, Relia-ble Energy Services.

When competition comes into the electric arena, electric rates could rise, the service could become unreliable, and environmental and conservation programs could disappear, according to the IBEW.

It's already happened in states where deregulation has oc-curred.

Like City Utilities Board Chairman Chris Nattinger, Newman too worries that deregulation will allow electric power companies to "cherry-pick" their competitors' most profitable customers while leaving the less profitable, general public customers for some other company to supply.

Newman has spent the past four years studying the complex issue to make it understandable. "This is going to be something that's going to impact you directly, and it's wise to pay attention now," she said.

With the help of IBEW's national organization, nine areas of concern have been determined.

Because electric power companies are cutting costs, their overtaxed systems are inefficient at peak times or during storms.

Profiteering, temporary shortages and cost shifting from large industrial users to small commercial and residential energy users will make electric rates go up.

Community-based programs funded by local power companies like holiday lighting, lifeline energy assistance, lighting for playgrounds and athletic fields may disappear.

Universal access to electricity for remote areas or economically troubled areas may be denied because it is too costly.

Tax revenues in the case of CU, its payments in lieu of taxes may dry up as outside companies with no tax base in the community provide electricity.

Because electric companies have built generating plants to meet projected needs, reduced income to them may result in an inability to recover costs or service the debt, which would threaten the local economy.

Mega-mergers and market dominance will lead to abuse of economic power and the manipulation of energy markets to increase profits.

Environmental effects may include a redistribution of power generation emissions. Further, voluntary environmental and conservation programs could be dropped as unprofitable.

Cost-cutting has overstressed the work force and electric system infrastructure from lack of maintenance so that workers and the public are in danger

Newman has prepared bro-chures full of information for the public, as well as e-mailing a slide show complete with charts and graphs for legislators to make it easier for them to study deregulation.

"They do respond to their constituents and they do pay attention to the news media," she said.

Newman said she likes "to have a role in educating the public about issues that I think that they need to be aware of." Sometimes the public doesn't react until they already feel the consequences, she added.