Judge hears power case

HARRISBURG - Over their objections, an administrative law judge Tuesday required power company officials to provide records of their profits at Pike County Light and Power. The order came at a hearing on Pike County’s complaint to the state’s consumer advocate’s office about the utility’s recent 73-percent rate hike. Pike Commissioners’ Chair Harry Forbes said he testified on behalf of “the county, its business and citizens.” The hearing record will go to the Public Utilities Commission, which is looking at grouping Pike County Light and Power customers as an “aggregate” package to be re-bid by new power providers. A counsel for Consolidated-Edison, which owns Pike County Light and Power, said the company would lose $1.5 million if the company lost the service to another, lower bidder. “They wanted access to the sealed bids of any new providers, so they could under-bid them,” Forbes recalled. The Con-Ed request prompted the consumer advocate to seek company profit forecasts. The judge allowed that profit records would remain “under seal,” available only to the Commission. The Commission is scheduled to rule on instituting the aggregate bidding package on April 20.