OCA Advisory Board to Meet on April 21
On the Agenda: Appreciating Claira Monier; Not Appreciating Bloated Utility Return on Equity
The Residential Ratepayers Advisory Board, whose job is to advise the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) on its work representing the interests of New Hampshire's residential utility customers, will hold its next regular quarterly meeting on Monday, April 21 at 2:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
As noted in the published agenda for the meeting, the Advisory Board plans to discuss several policy issues of importance to New Hampshire ratepayers: the future of default energy service, at a time when the Public Utilities Commission is nudging the state's electric utilities toward increasing reliance on the volatile regional spot market in wholesale electricity, to provide this 'backstop' service; the looming hearings in the Eversource distribution service rate case, which begin in late May; and the question of how the OCA can fund the outside consulting help it needs in a time of statewide fiscal austerity.
In addition, the Advisory Board will be honoring its former chair, Claira Monier of Goffstown, who recently stepped down after a record-breaking 22 years of service.
"Claira Monier, who also led the state's Housing Finance Authority for many years, is a legendary figure in New Hampshire and I am so pleased to have the opportunity to recognize everything she has done to strengthen, support, and advise the OCA for more than two decades," said Consumer Advocate Donald Kreis. "And for those who would like to hear more about what we and our experts think of paying Eversource shareholders a bloated return on equity of 10.3 percent, as this company is asking the Public Utilities Commission to do -- well, please attend and participate in what I am sure will be a lively dialogue."
The Advisory Board meeting will take place in Hearing Room B of the New Hampshire Department of Energy, on the first floor of the Walker Building (21 South Fruit Street) in Concord, where the OCA is also located. There's plenty of free parking out front; the meeting is scheduled to run from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. EDT.