Assemblyman Amy H. Handlin and a coalition of Monmouth County legislators, have launched an online petition allowing ratepayers to object to a proposed electricity rate increase that JCP&L has pending before the Board of Public Utilities.

“Every voice counts, especially those who have been repeatedly kept in the dark for days waiting for JCP&L to do its job and turn the power back on,” Handlin, R-Monmouth, said. “After several failures – most notably Hurricanes Sandy and Irene – many communities are exploring whether they can fire JCP&L. I haven’t heard one argument to support giving the utility a raise.”

Handlin has organized a coalition of Monmouth County legislators who are supporting a petition allowing ratepayers to urge the BPU to deny JCP&L’s 1.4 percent increase it claims is necessary to cover $31.5 million in costs due to Hurricane Irene in 2011. Other Monmouth County legislators who support the petition include: Sens. Jennifer Beck, Joseph Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. and Robert W. Singer, and Assembly Republicans Mary Pat Angelini, Caroline Casagrande, Rob Clifton, Ron Dancer, Sean Kean, Declan O’Scanlon and Dave Rible.

The petition can be signed at: www.tinyurl.com/norateincrease.

The Division of Rate Counsel has filed a petition contending the utility is earning a profit exceeding 12 percent in New Jersey – far above the allowable 8.5 percent.

“We’ve reached the tipping point and must say, ‘Enough is enough,’” Handlin said. “The utility’s performance in recent years has been dreadful and we’re not going to just sit back and allow them to take more money out of our constituents’ pockets to boost the bottom line of the parent company in Ohio.

“Our constituents are tired of overpromises and underperformances from JCP&L,” Handlin continued. “The BPU should pull the plug on JCP&L’s rate hike.”

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