Favoritism

Stung by a hearing officer’s $323,000 fine for affiliatefavoritism and tariff violations, Providence Gas Co. (ProvGas) saidlast week the “unusual proceedings” went “substantially beyond thescope of issues originally” raised by an Aurora Natural Gascomplaint. The Rhode Island utility filed a request forreconsideration, rehearing and a stay of the decision, saying thelargest portion of the fine is a free ticket to marketers forwinter storage and peaking services they already received.