April 10, 2008 - 1:33pm
News

Sun burn

Did you hear about the latest PSE&G rate increase approved by the BPU on Monday?  Probably not.  That's because only the Ledger reported the story, inside its business section. 

 

Here's the topline:


  • The state has a policy goal to generate at least 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
  • Despite double-digit rate hikes on electricity, the BPU approved a solar pilot program that allows PSE&G to loan low-interest money to homeowners and business to add solar to their homes and businesses.

But there's a catch --- PSE&G's 2 million customers will pay a surcharge on their monthly electric bills to cover the utility's cost of running the program and to guarantee it a "return on investment of 9.75 percent."

 

I guess the state's other newspaper editors aren’t too charged up about NJ’s mega-utility raking in more dough from ratepayers after it just posted a 62 percent jump in earnings. I’m sure it doesn’t matter much to the average readers struggling to pay their mortgage and property taxes?

 

Shocking.

Debbie Holtz can be reached via email at debbie.holtz@politickernj.com.

Related topics: PSE&G