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Letter: MPE rebates aren’t what they seem

Mountain Parks Electric recently sent me a check for over $160. Isn’t that wonderful? It’s an “allocation of margins.” That makes it even better! How wonderful they are! On closer examination, however, some questions arise.

The word “margins” actually means “overcharge.” MPE is not a corporation returning profits to stockholders. They are a public monopoly supposed to operate as a nonprofit. This years allocation is from the five year period of 1993-1998. Why wait so long? The total overcharge from that period is $1.65 million. Does the overcharge return include interest for the last 22-26 years? At 6% interest that would be worth $5.29 million today. 

Is that overcharge returned to people who have moved or to families of those who have died? Do they take reasonable steps to track such people?



But isn’t that unclaimed overcharge spent on nice things — like student scholarships and other charities? Yes, but is it given to the students or charities that you or I would choose?

They can use the overcharge to print a nice, monthly color magazine that consistently tells us how wonderful they are. It can also enrich management directly or with perks.



But they are regulated by the government, you say. Sure, by a group of people in Colorado who have been appointed by Democrat governors that are in bed with the co-ops and have no incentive to change the status quo. Would Republicans do any better? Maybe we should find out!

— Frank B Watts, Winter Park Highlands


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