Rate Hikes Wreak on Havoc on Local Businesses…
Since 2020, LPEA has raised rates on local businesses by nearly 20%!
For small businesses operating on thin margins, electricity isn’t optional. It’s a fixed cost that directly affects:
- Hiring and wage growth
- Pricing of everyday goods and services
- Decisions about expansion—or survival
Its already hard enough to live and do business here, but the LPEA Board of Directors wants to squeeze businesses for every dime they can get, and damn the repercussions. With incredibly tight margins, business owners are forced to choose between raising prices and laying off essential employees.
What kind of person would actually vote for this?
Living and doing business here is already expensive. Housing, insurance, labor, and regulatory costs continue to climb. Adding uncertainty and long-term risk to energy costs only makes it harder for employers to provide stable, livable wages for the people who depend on them.
While workers and employers absorb these pressures, executive compensation at LPEA continues to grow. CEO Chris Hansen remains among the highest-paid cooperative executives in the region, earning roughly $700,000 annually, insanity! Meanwhile, rates just keep going up.
That’s not shared sacrifice.
And it’s not how a member-owned cooperative is supposed to work.
We deserve better.