Utilities may raise rates for product they didn't deliver

What hath deregulation brung?

We all know Kentucky is a rubber-stamp state when it comes to regulators letting utilities raise rates. The fact that regulators allowed Duke Energy to use the September blackout that it took a week to fix as an excuse to apply for a rate increase is indicative of that.

But now folks in other parts of the state are being greeted with a big stinking repeat that's splatting them right between the eyes.

Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities have filed for a rate increase - using the January blizzard blackout as a pretext.

Even if the outage wasn't the utilities' fault, what gives them the right to demand that customers pay more? During a blackout, electricity is not delivered - so why should folks pay more for being delivered less product?

Unregulated capitalism means paying more for less.

The larger picture is that now every utility knows it can create a blackout and use it as a reason to charge higher rates.

(Source: http://www.kypost.com/content/news/commonwealth/story/Utilities-May-Increase-Rates-To-Pay-For-Ice-Storm/ECndDcoARUKKrvxBaZZEbA.cspx)