The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) authorized Columbia Gas of Virginia to expand its customer choice program across its entire service territory over the next several weeks. Under the expansion, Columbia will give 200,000 retail sales customers the opportunity to choose their gas supplier.

Columbia serves customers in central Virginia, portions of the Shenandoah Valley, portions of northern Virginia and part of the Hampton Roads are, including Suffolk and Portsmouth. A retail choice pilot program for Columbia customers has been in place in select areas of northern Virginia since October 1997. The company currently has 7,579 customers enrolled in the program. Systemwide retail choice for gas customers has been lawful throughout the state since July 1, 2000.

Columbia Gas will recover costs associated with the provision of retail gas supply by establishing a new monthly charge called a “Transition Costs Recovery Charge.” The costs are related to contracts for maintaining pipeline and storage capacity as well as transition costs for changing Columbia Gas facilities to permit retail choice.

For additional information about the state’s progress toward developing a competitive energy supply market, consumers are encouraged to visit the Virginia Energy Choice web site at www.yesvachoice.com. The SCC also offers a toll-free information line for Energy Choice: 1-877-YES-2004.

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