HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) reminded consumers and other concerned parties on Monday about the upcoming registration deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 17, for mid-January telephonic hearings to gather public input on proposed rate increase by National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation (National Fuel Gas).
PUC PUBLIC
INPUT HEARING:
The PUC telephonic hearings to gather public input on the rate increase request by National Fuel Gas is scheduled at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19.
PUC Administrative Law Judge Mary D. Long will preside over the hearings.
SIGNING UP
FOR THE PUBLIC
INPUT HEARING:
In order to testify at a telephonic public input hearing, individuals must register no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Interested persons can register by email or telephone by contacting Judge Long’s office.
To pre-register, email Judge Long’s legal assistant, Daniela Alban, at dalban@pa.gov, and provide:
(1) your first and last name;
(2) the date and time (1 p.m. or 6 p.m.) of the hearing at which you wish to testify;
(3) the phone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing; and
(4) if you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.
To pre-register by phone, call Judge Long’s office at (412) 565-3550 and leave a message providing all of the information above plus a phone number where you can be reached prior to the hearing (if needed) and your email address (if you have one).
To participate in the public input hearings, use the following call-in number at (866) 566-0649, and enter the pin number 83345259. (NOTE: Please speak your name when prompted, and press #)
Individuals who do not pre-register and provide the information listed above may not be able to testify. Individuals will testify in the order in which they pre-register.
LISTENING TO THE HEARINGS:
For those who do not wish to testify but want to listen to the public input hearing(s), contact Judge Long’s office by email or phone (same contact information as listed above) and provide your name and the hearing(s) you want to listen to so the PUC can ensure it has adequate caller capacity on the conference bridge to accommodate all callers.
Again, the deadline for signing up for the public input hearings is at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17.
INTERPRETERS AND ASSISTANCE REGISTERING:
Individuals who require an interpreter, pre-register as soon as possible. If registered too close to the hearing date, we may not have enough time to arrange for an interpreter. If you request an interpreter, we will make every reasonable effort to have one present.
Individuals who require assistance pre-registering to testify, may have someone register for them, but they will need to provide all the information listed above. Additionally, if more than one person in a household would like to testify, one person may pre-register for other individuals in the same household, but all the information listed above is needed for each individual testifying.
Relay service number for persons who are deaf or hearing-impaired is (800) 654-5988.
EXHIBITS:
If you intend to offer exhibits at the public input hearing, you must email your proposed exhibit(s) to Judge Long at malong@pa.gov, by Tuesday, Jan. 17. In your email, you must copy (on the “cc” line) all individuals listed in the “service list” included on the PUC hearing notice.
Failure to comply with these instructions may result in you not being allowed to present your proposed exhibit(s). Proposed video evidence must be submitted in an mp4 format and cannot exceed 2MB. Proposed video evidence that does not meet these criteria will not be permitted.
In addition, individuals representing themselves are not required to be represented by an attorney. All others, including corporations, partnerships, associations, trusts, governmental agencies or subdivision, must be represented by an attorney. The representing attorney should file a Notice of Appearance before the scheduled hearing date.
OFFERING TESTIMONY AT A PUBLIC INPUT HEARING:
NATIONAL FUEL GAS RATE CHANGE REQUEST:
On Dec. 8, 2022, the Commission voted 5-0 to investigate National Fuel Gas’ request, which was filed on Oct. 28, 2022.
The changes proposed by National Fuel Gas would produce an annual overall revenue increase of approximately $28.1 million (9.2%). National Fuel Gas is also proposing a three-year Energy Efficiency pilot program that would recover an additional $1.2 million from residential customers annually. The program would offer residential customers rebate incentives to install high-efficiency space heating appliances in place of standard equipment.
National Fuel Gas’ proposals would result in the total monthly bill for a residential customer, using 84 ccf per month, increasing from $99.93 to $109.67 (about 9.7%). In its filing, National Fuel Gas is also proposing increasing its monthly residential customer charge from $12 to $18.
A final PUC decision on the National Fuel Gas rate case is due by July 27, 2023.
For more information, visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and videos of select proceedings.
