Power Costs and a Difficult Set of Choices
This week, I was invited to meet with the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Governor Apatang, Senate President Nabors, and Speaker Villagomez to talk through what rising global fuel costs mean for our power system. What we heard from CUC was serious. As many of you know, a portion of your CUC bill reflects the cost of fuel. With ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, global oil prices are rising, and that is directly increasing what CUC has to pay to keep our generators running. CUC is now asking its regulators to raise rates to cover those costs. If rates are not adjusted, the stability of our power system is at risk. If they are, families and businesses here will feel it immediately in higher bills. There is no easy outcome here. This is a decision that will have to be made locally, but I believe this situation is urgent, and the federal government should be part of the response. This is still developing, and my office is actively working to identify what options may be available to help stabilize the system and keep electricity within reach for our residents. This will be difficult, but I am committed to working with the Governor and the Legislature to find a path forward.