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Natural gas prices still hovering near decade lows and yet we are still not seeing a drop in our electricity bills have you noticed that.
So what -- joining us now is David Wright vice chairman of southern Carolina public service commission president of the national association.
A regulatory commissioner is okay.
We're all wondering what's going on here -- explain it just as we've seen natural gas prices.
Just taken so much electricity is made from now -- -- those bills go down.
Well you've got that situation right now the -- like a perfect storm for for ratepayers.
In -- the good news is probably that we do have natural gas prices down as low -- I think the last time I looked it was like 280.
But you know it electricity delivery prices have gone up you've got companies that are.
Doing upgrades to their power systems transmission lines all the -- from the big ones that you see out in the fields to the ones -- -- your home.
They're upgrading their power plants making retrofit.
And just -- -- -- current with what we know today.
Really do we get into I mean we had that huge blackout here in the northeast you know about ten years ago and it -- so many stories and spent where they've said.
We really haven't made that many improvements we're danger of that happening again.
Idealist with suspend about two trillion dollars on upgrades over the next forty years how much work has really been done do you have a dollar amount or percentage.
No I really don't but I will tell you that some utilities are ahead of others and and their their program to get things up to speed.
And that impacts customers for sure.
But you know with the low gas prices right now that's one reason that rates are somewhat stable.
But you've got more on the horizon I mean you get the EPA regs that are coming down now are going to impact and utilities even more because they're gonna have to spend.
A whole lot of money that is going to be recoverable in rates and it's gonna calls if you're -- -- if -- supply about coal.
Your rates are gonna go up significantly -- you're saying that there is basically a floor and the whole system and that this is the bottom we can't help for anything better than where we are right now.
Well -- I don't know that that's really true.
-- I mean do a couple of years ago natural gas was at fourteen dollars right some ladies it's may be something in the sector in the electric sector.
Changes and and we have some breakthrough is technological changes that will will do the same thing that natural gas is doing but we can't camel -- So what we have to do -- commissioners and in this country is to.
Look at what that the utilities need to balance that against the the rate Payer.
And then do it in such a way that we create an economic environment that will allow -- you know jobs and investment.
OK David -- thanks so much for coming on.
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