Lesinski

Lesinski

carries

petition

to SCC

By Hilary Lewis

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

Democrat candidate for Virginia delegate John Lesinski is urging Rappahannock residents to join a petition against Allegheny Power's proposed rate increases.

A rally will be

held in Elkton

Saturday, July 25 at

19457 Huckleberry

Drive where citizens

can sign the

petition before it is

presented to the

Virginia State

Corporation Commission

i SCC i at a

hearing on July 30.

Lesinski, who lives in Rappahannock, is seeking a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 15th District. The district encompasses Rappahannock. Page and Shenandoah counties and parts of Rockingham. He is running against Republican Todd Gilbert.

A group of Page County residents circulated the "Power to the People" petition and have collected more than 3,300 signatures. The group asked Lesinski to coordinate the fight.

"I wanted to help with the effort. I see people with their power turned off, people having a hard time feeding their families, and people now becoming homeless," said Lesinski

According to Lesinski, in January electricity rates were raised by 30 percent as part of a deal struck among Allegheny Power, the SCC. and the Virginia Attorney General's office. Allegheny returned to the SCC in April to seek another rate hike, which was temporarily granted until a hearing is conducted in September.

On July 30, Allegheny will return to the SCC to request a .5 percent rate increase The "Power to the People" petition requests that the SCC deny rate increases.

Additionally. Allegheny has a hearing set with the SCC on Sept 16 regarding a proposed six percent rate increase.

For Rappahannock this marks further increases in the county’s climbing electric rates.

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative's purchase of Allegheny Power’s distribution assets will mean a 30 percent increase in rates as soon as July 1, 2011 REC could John Lesinski

See LESINSKI, Page A7