One power subsidy too many

One power subsidy too many

Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail: Everyone wants Century Aluminum to restart its aluminum smelter at Ravenwood. Hundreds of people would go back to work, and the surrounding area would recover economically.

But West Virginians should not be forced to subsidize Century’s power bills to make it happen.

The state Public Service Commission should reject the company’s proposal.

Century, a heavy power user, already stands to receive not only a subsidy from other taxpayers, but a subsidy from Appalachian Power Co.’s other industrial, business and residential power customers as well.

Century wants to preserve the option of dumping its power costs on other ratepayers.

In fact, Century wants the powers that be in West Virginia to guarantee that it can make a profit if it restarts the smelter.

How’s that for brass?

As Daily Mail Business Editor George Hohmann reported, Century benefited starting in 2006 from a rate structure that let it smooth out its power bills. It subsequently racked up a $22.7 million bill for power.

But it gets worse.

It seeks a new cost-smoothing rate structure that could again force other customers — including residential customers — to subsidize its business.

In the end, West Virginians who do not have company-provided health benefits in retirement could be asked to pay higher power bills so Century retirees can have them.