Avista-Hydro One Merger: Customers Fiercely Opposed

Avista-Hydro One Merger:
Customers Fiercely Opposed

Hydro One provides electric power in Ontario, Canada. It is their intention to acquire Avista Corp., the former Washington Water Power Company, headquartered in Spokane.

Citizen’s in five states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska will be affected by this merger, with the potential to affect millions more far beyond these borders.

Utility commissions in these five states must approve the merger with Hydro One. Idaho has recently held multiple public meetings on the issue, with hundreds of written comments pouring in. You can read the comments here, as well as the entire case summary: http://www.puc.idaho.gov/fileroom/cases/summary/AVUE1709.html

The comments show an overwhelming public opinion against the merger. Comments range from simply opposed to full explainations, and include:

Avista rate is 8 cents and Hydro One is 28 cents and Hydro one is always is in the Red!
Please advise what United States controls and regulations will still apply to Hydro One
What do you do when they change the rules and conditions. Then your in International Court.
It is vital to our national security and to the safety of the citizens of the United States that we not allow a foreign entity to take ownership of any part of our power grid, any public utility in America.
This sounds similar to the Uranium One sale to a Canadian with Russian ties.
Canada is a socialistic government and owns 47-49% of Hydro-One, so they could increase our rates after the short waiting period and we would be totally at their mercy.
We are seniors who could not afford a rate hike in a tariff war with Canada.

The comments, though staggering in opposition, did include a few that were in support of the merger. These comments seemed to center around concerns for climate change and “clean energy”. They include:

I support the negotiated settlement for the merger with Hydro One. … climate change is my biggest concern, and that’s a global issue that we all have to work together to solve.
It seems likely that this deal will also help Clearwater Power be a clean energy producer

The contention that this proposed merger has generated has mobilized opponents into a formal group (Avista Customer Group) that has hired legal representation and is hotly contesting the merger.

Their website tells us:

If approved, Avista would be fully owned by a foreign company which is controlled by the Province of Ontario holding 41% of its shares and maintains control over Hydro One. Hydro One operates under Canadian law and is governed by the Green Energy Act and other energy policies. Avista would be operating under foreign laws if this merger is approved. The founder of Hydro One is Maurice Strong, a declared socialist who was considered the Father of False Global Warming, and was the promoter of Global Governance by the UN, where he was the Energy Program Founder and architect of the Kyoto Protocol.

You do NOT have to be an Avista customer to get involved or to comment. Please read the compelling information on their website, and check back here for more information as we receive it.