MERGER: Just say no

As a resident of the Great State of Idaho, an Avista Utilities user and Idaho taxpayer and U.S. Service Veteran from the Korean War period, serving in the U.S. Navy, I would like to voice my grave concern with the Avista sale to Canada’s HydroOne. Along with many other Idaho residents, we are opposed to this sale of our private utilities to a foreign government and believe that a sale to any foreign government should be opposed by our government. We lose total control once this happens and what if Canada’s HydroOne decides to re-sell to another foreign government sometime down the line? Then, where do we as utility users stand?

Since Canada’s utility structure is based on the U.N.’s Paris Accord on climate change, HydroOne can and will charge us American ratepayers exorbitant prices under their green-mandated energy laws.

We would then have no say-so since our utilities are no longer under U.S. laws and is without competition for this required energy. Canada’s HydroOne is presently mostly dependent on windmill and solar power, both types requiring extensive maintenance and up-keep. This type of power is unreliable and not as efficient as our present hydroelectric generating dams here in the U.S.

We as ratepayers, taxpayers and U.S. citizens are requesting that this sale not be approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Idaho and turn down Avista’s request to sale.

Since all public utilities are a monopoly, any foreign country wanting to make a purchase in the USA should be refused under our government regulations since we automatically lose control of any changes they might make.

We have been told that the only ones that this sale would benefit greatly is Avista Utilities and their corporate officials, since they have advertised that all management under this sale would remain the same. Canada, our neighbor, is still considered a foreign government and our associations are mostly on friendly terms, things could change at any time. Nothing remains the same in today’s world.

WILLIAM M. SINGLETON

Coeur d’Alene