IS IT TRUE? November 19, 2011

IS IT TRUE that Vectren president and CEO Carl Chapman’s presentation to the Evansville City Council this week provided a perfect opportunity to test Vectren’s assertions that at some point in the future that all of the electricity providers will have to make investments that will translate into an increase in other peoples rates so that they are at or above what we pay in SW Indiana?…that one particular provider, Kentucky Utilities (KU) that had been cited by the Louisville Courier Journal as owning up to coming increases that would bring them into compliance with Vectren still commanding a 50% premium was disputed by Mr. Chapman?…that the City County Observer contacted KU and learned that KU’s charge for 1,000 kWh today is $86.70?…that Vectren’s current total charge for the same thing is $157.60 or 82% higher than KU?…that KU projects that it will be increasing rates to $105.00 for 1,000 kWh by 2016 when it will reach EPA attainment?…that if Vectren freezes its rates for the next 5 years that it will still be 50% higher for electricity in SW Indiana than it is in the locations that KU services?…that is not consistent with Vectren’s assertions that other areas will catch up or pass them in rates to achieve attainment?

IS IT TRUE that the dense pack technology that Vectren is planning to install in two turbines at its A. B. Brown plant was approved in 2009 by the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission (IURC)?…that the gear is already on order and that Vectren has been making progress payments on the gear as it has been prepared for delivery?…that these improvements are going to be made and that the IURC has already approved the projects?…that the only variable is the amount of the cost that will be passed on to the ratepayers?…that Vectren has requested that this amount should be $1.08 per meter per month?…that is the subject of the November 28th meeting of the IURC at the Centre at 5:30 pm?…that we encourage all of our readers to attend and furthermore encourage the Evansville City Council to adjust their regularly scheduled meeting so they can all attend the IURC meeting as well?…that there is nothing that can be more important to the constituents of the City Council than this meeting and that our elected officials NEED TO BE THERE?

IS IT TRUE that of all of the rate increases that Vectren has ever asked for that on the surface the upgrading to dense pack technology really does appear to be in the financial best interest and the environmental best interest of SW Indiana?…that it was nevertheless the straw that broke the camel’s back with the people of Evansville?…that maybe something good like an increase in interests and awareness among the people of Evansville will come from this?…that awareness has been a long time coming in this neck of the woods?

IS IT TRUE that the executive session of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission on Thursday came and went without so much as a peep being disclosed to the public about the meeting?…that we assume that the discussion which was disclosed to be about the continuing saga of the downtown Convention Hotel centered around VETTING?…that we are quite curious regarding the report on the two proposals to see if Hunden Strategic Partners is giving their blessing to go forward with either proposal after VETTING the respondents and their proposals?…that some developer has pre-empted the whole process by entering into a contract to buy the Riverhouse and leaking the intention to build a 125 to 150 room hotel on the riverfront?…that this is exactly the size of hotel that was recommended for downtown Evansville anyway and the ERC request for proposal actually specified 220 rooms that exceeds the number of rooms recommended by professionals?