Despite predictions in some national general interest news media concerning natural gas rate hikes this winter, Las Vegas, NV-based Southwest Gas Corp. said Tuesday it does not foresee having to raise its retail charges this winter. In fact, a utility spokesperson said the company doesn’t see the need to raise rates for the next year.

Southwest told the Nevada Public Utilities Commission in an annual purchased-gas filing at the beginning of summer that it did not foresee asking for a rate hike this year, and long-term contracts it now has for about half of its supplies should give it a sufficient hedge for the “little” wholesale price increases it forecasts for the winter. Current and projected balancing accounts for covering gas costs look sufficient, the utility spokesperson said.

A representative for a large buyers’ group, Steven Boss, president of the Nevada Energy Buyers Network, agreed with the utility, telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal he doesn’t “see gas prices going up outrageously; there is plenty of gas in storage.” And Nevada’s consumer advocate tracking utility costs agreed, noting the state isn’t expecting much gas price volatility in the next six to nine months.

With supply sources in both the Southwest and Rockies, Southwest said it feels it has sufficient “bargaining power” this winter in case supplies and prices get tight.

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