" DOCTOR MY EYES" jackson browne

Doctor my eyes have seen the years
And the slow parade of fears without crying
Now I want to understand

So how to spend a Friday morning on a cold Painesville morning?

Sit down with a few residents , Electric Power Superintendent Jeffery McHugh, Paul Morton Electric Plant Supervisor and a plant supervisor to explain how we arrive at our infamous Power Cost Adjustment.  (PCA)

Well to say I learned a lot would be understatement.

First off our electric bills and costs haven't changed since 1992. Before deregulation, when the plant ran at 88% efficiency and 44 employees ran the power plant. Along with prices for coal and wages were what  they were in 1992. Today the plant runs with 24 employees operates at only peak shavings time and we purchase 100% of our power from outside sources. Last month we were billed by AMPO for power purchased at when its all put together $67.54 KWh. $1,264,900.00 total. of this total $420,770.00 went to PSEC, $223,274 Went for Hydropower on the Ohio River Projects. Other included $585,000. We pay from 14 cents to 1 cent for power.

Someone asked about 'line loss',well it should include unmetered power. You loss power when you push it thru the lines but 6%? Will it should be called unmetered power. Power for street light, traffic lights Christmas lights.  are all included in this. So in a way the power for that unmetered power is included in your PCA.

Of note when the city sends Power Plant employee's to other departments the electric department still assumes all their wages and benefits? I don't even know if this practice is even legal?

With all this said. MONDAY EVENING  IN COURTROOM #2 COUNCIL WILL HOLD A WORK SESSION January 9,2017 AT 5:00PM   there will be a council work session to determine if our rate structure is up to date. This meeting is open to the public whether you will be allowed to speak I do not know.

AS I left the power plant I couldn't stop thinking of all that machinery sitting idle. I was told to operate it  would cost us $96.00 MWh. (estimate) Why make it if you can buy it cheaper?  I'd love to see how they arrived at those numbers?

Fist of all no billing system should be used that is 25 years old. Monday night may start the change.

Mr. McHugh assured me he will have the number's soon if and how much the electric department made last year in the near future.

None of this is a refection on the people who run and work at the Painesville Power Plant They are given what they have and make do with it.