Lawrence Journal-World opinion section

To the editor:

The April 10 Journal-World article about the wind energy potential for Douglas County mentions the county commissioners’ interest in levying a county tax assessment on the provider. I believe such a tax would only increase the rate paid by the user.

By law, the public utility provider, in serving the public interest, is entitled to earn a fair, but not an excessive, rate of return on their rate base, which includes their investment and operating expenses. To avoid a monthly bill that includes the profit earned on the county assessment, it would be cheaper if the county just directly added their assessment to the wind energy users’ bill.

Keep the rate base low. Put more directly, don’t try to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.