Dozens of concerned citizens turned out for the presentation of the dangers associated with a merger between Avista Utilities and Hydro One.<\/p>\n
Avista and Hydro One would like you to believe this is a done deal, however, there are still several steps to take.<\/p>\n
FERC approves Avista-Hydro One deal<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Several other federal authorizations will be needed, and the companies said they will be making those filings in the coming months. The deal\u00a0will\u00a0also require approval from state regulators in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Alaska.<\/p>\n The presentation was given by geologist David Boleneus and sponsored by the North West Property Owners Alliance (NWPOA<\/strong><\/a>).<\/p>\n Boleneus has obviously been\u00a0studying this issue<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0intently and came prepared with handouts you can view below. The amount of information is almost too much to absorb in a single sitting.<\/p>\n He has\u00a0previously told us<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0about\u00a0Hydro One, who provides electric power in Ontario, Canada, and wants to acquire Avista Corp.<\/p>\n The deal exposes Avista electric customers to nightmarish effects\u00a0of\u00a0foreign<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0practices and policies that Avista seems mostly unaware as to the extent of those impacts.<\/p>\n Boleneus explained what has happened on the Hydro One home turf in\u00a0Ontario<\/strong><\/a>, putting families into poverty over the\u00a0soaring electricity rates<\/strong><\/a>, and how it will happen in America if this merger with Avista is allowed to complete.<\/p>\n Electricity rates have jumped,\u00a0in some cases<\/strong><\/a>\u00a01000%, in the last decade and there are families forced to walk away from their homes as their power bills surpass their mortgage payments. Many families are forced to choose between food and heat.<\/p>\n Will our government allow the same thing to happen to our citizens?<\/p>\n