Jessica Lilly Published

Black Diamond Power Wants Overcharges to be “Customer Contribution"?

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According to request filed by attorneys at law Hannah and Hanna PLLC back in August, Black Diamond Power admits to overcharging customers $1,686,338 admits to collecting over a five year period.

The document indicates that the company serves about 4,300 so that’s about $385 per customer.

The company proposes to refund $488, 307 to customers over a five year period which would come through a rate reduction.  But Black Diamond Power wants to treat the remaining money, treat the remaining $1.198 million as a “customer contribution.”

It appears that the Staff of the Public Service Commission filed recommendations on October 1. In that document, the staff of PSC recommends about $900,000 be recorded as a customer contribution and a reduction of rate base.

Black Diamond Power purchases all of its power from American Electric Power. The business serves at the electric company in parts of Clay, Kanawha, Raleigh and Wyoming Counties with business offices in Sophia, Clay and Mullens.

While the Register Herald is reporting that Black Diamond Power Customers will see a reduction of 1.21 cents per kilowatt hour, Susan Small with the Public Service Commission says transcripts from a hearing on this case held on October 22 were not available. Small also told us that no other details were available since it was an open case.

President of Black Diamond Power, David Musser, was not available for comment but told the Register Herald the rate reduction was made possible by way of American Electric Power reducing its charges to Black Diamond, which was in turn able to give customers a lower rate. 

Attorney’s representing the company Hannah and Hannal LLC did not immediately return our request for comment.