After recent years of rate decreases, Idaho regulators approved purchased gas adjustment (PGA) rate increases on Wednesday for the state’s two major natural gas utility distribution companies: Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities and Boise, ID-based Intermountain Gas Co. The rate changes are effective Tuesday (Oct. 1).
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Volume of Comments Pushes Fracking Rule to 2013
Don’t expect the Department of Interior to come out with a final rule addressing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on public lands before the end of the year, said an official representing exploration and production interests in the West.
Columbia Ohio Files Lowest Winter Month Rate in Recent Years
Columbia Gas of Ohio Friday filed its gas cost recovery (GCR) adjustment for December with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), registering a more than 50% drop from December of last year. The GCR of 49 cents/100 cubic feet (1 Ccf) of gas will be 70 cents, or 59%, lower than December 2008 when it was $1.19/Ccf.
Industry Brief
Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities told the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that it was lowering its pending purchased gas cost adjustment (PGA) rate increase request from 14% to 4% for its 72,000 natural gas utility customers in the northern part of the state. In August Avista asked the PUC for the rate increase to cover its current and future wholesale costs of gas, effective Oct. 1 (see Daily GPI, Aug. 20). The revised request lowers Avista’s requested increase in annual revenues to $3.3 million from the original $11.6 million in its filing. The PUC said that its public comment period ends Monday (Sept. 23). Under the Idaho PUC PGA process, the utilities file annually to reflect changes in purchased gas costs. A portion of the PGA is a projection of what costs will be during the next year, but since the projections are never exact, the PGA is adjusted every 12 months to match projected and actual costs. For the average Avista gas customer using about 65 therms monthly, the lowered PGA increase would add about $3/month to bills.
Idaho Gas Prices Down for Intermountain, Avista
Signaling the continued downward trend of wholesale natural gas prices, Intermountain Gas Co. puts its second consecutive purchased gas adjustment (PGA) rate decrease in effect Monday, while Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities last Friday asked the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to lower its rates following a similar drop in the PGA.
Peoples Energy: Denial of Weather Normalization Adjustment Plan ‘Shortsighted’
Peoples Energy said Thursday that it is “disappointed” in a ruling by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) that denies its “creative solution” for a Weather Normalization Adjustment (WNA) that would have helped to stabilize the service charge portion of a customer’s natural gas bill in Illinois during colder and warmer than normal winters.
Industry Briefs
NSTAR, which serves 300,000 natural gas customers in eastern and central Massachusetts, has filed a second request to reduce its Cost of Gas Adjustment (CGA), this time by 12%. If approved, the CGA will combine with lower seasonal rates to reduce the bills of a residential customer by $9.00/month. In its filing with the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy (DTE), NSTAR proposed reducing the CGA to 75.01 cents/therm from the current price of 85 cents. The new price would take effect May 1.If the price cut is approved by DTE, the average customer, using 38 therms/month between May and October, will pay about $51.19 per month, down from $60.29, based on current winter rates.
Unitil Requests Gas Rate Increase in Massachusetts
Facing higher natural gas costs, Unitil has filed an interim increase in its Cost of Gas Adjustment (CGA) factor with the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy (MDTE). If approved, a typical residential heating customer using 150 therms/month in the winter would see an increase of $11.06 or 5.4% over the current rates.
NorthWestern Files Audit Results, Annual Power Rate Adjustment in Montana
Citing a “constructive dialogue” it is seeking in its sometimes contentious relations with Montana regulators, South Dakota-based NorthWestern Energy Thursday submitted a third-party audit of its electric and natural gas utility operations in the state, recommending improvements in some areas. The company, which just settled a pending investigation by the Montana Consumer Counsel, said it hoped the audit improves its ongoing relations with state officials.
Puget Sound Utility Prepares for High Winter Gas Bills
After putting through two state regulator-approved natural gas cost adjustment rate increases collectively totaling 30%, Bellevue, WA-based Puget Sound Energy is gearing up this fall for increased relief for its low-income, or near-low-income customers.