COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When hurricane-force winds swept through Ohio in September, residents all paid the price -- as many people lived without electricity and water for up to a week.
Residents may also pay more for Hurricane Ike -- not in inconveniences, but in cash to American Electric Power.
AEP wants to raise rates to all customers to recover the $30 million they spent to repair electricity to hundreds of thousands of customers.
But AEP isn't just asking for one fee -- but rather in addition to a proposed increase in electricity bills of 15 percent for the next three years.
There are many groups fighting the potential rates, and AEP was at a hearing Friday with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to state its case, NBC 4's Tanya Hutchins reported.
"The last six months have been like hell for our staff," said Alan Schriber, PUCO chairman.
Schriber began the meeting by commending his staff for efforts in several cases, including AEP.
The commission approved the request from AEP to defer costs associated with September's windstorm.
"AEP is just asking to be able to move the cost of that storm into their accounting books so that at a later point, they may ask the commission for cost recovery for those costs," said Shana Eiselstein, representative for PUCO.
The commission's approval does not guarantee cost recovery.
AEP would have to apply for it if it wants to actually charge customers.
Commissioners are allowing AEP to continue its current rates until they rule on the company's pending rate hike.
The Ohio Consumers' Counsel remains skeptical.
"Whatever that cost is, that has to be justified and they haven't yet justified those costs," said Janine Migden-Ostrander, of OCC.
AEP said it needs the money to improve reliability.
PUCO won't meet a deadline at the end of the year, so a ruling won't come until early 2009.
Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for additional information.
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