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PA PUC Issues Order In Columbia Gas’ Rate Case
Excerpts from Press Release:
{***} The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has approved a partial joint settlement that limits the rate changes for Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc. (Columbia) to a significantly smaller amount than originally requested. Columbia serves approximately 445,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers across 26 counties in western and south-central Pennsylvania.
The Commission voted 5-0 to approve the partial settlement along with the Recommended Decision of PUC Administrative Law Judge Jeffrey A. Watson, addressing the issues raised in this case and capping the overall change at $74 million annually—a 40% reduction from Columbia’s original request for $124.1 million in additional revenue. The Commission also rejected a proposed municipal levelization charge, which would place a charge or credit on a customer’s bill based on the permitting and restoration fees charged by the customer’s municipality.
The settlement was supported by the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA), the Office of Small Business Advocate (OSBA), the PUC’s Bureau of Investigation & Enforcement (I&E), The Pennsylvania State University, and Columbia. Other parties, including the Coalition for Affordable Utility Services and Energy Efficiency in Pennsylvania (CAUSE-PA) and the Pennsylvania Weatherization Providers Task Force, did not oppose the settlement.
Under the settlement, a typical residential customer using 70 therms of natural gas per month will see their monthly bill change from $118.16 to $128.06 (9.06%), instead of the initially proposed $136.92 (15.88%). {***}
Press Release (11/21/2024)
Order (11/21/2024)
Statement of Chairman DeFrank (11/21/2024)
R-2024-3046519
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania
