PUC Approves Settlement Concerning Interim Adjustments To Default Service Rates

January 4, 2024

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Copyright 2010-23 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

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The Pennsylvania PUC has approved without modification a settlement between the Retail Energy Supply Association ('RESA') and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc. ('Columbia') (collectively "Joint Petitioners") which sets forth a procedure to be followed by Columbia in any future interim PGC [purchased gas cost rate] adjustment filings by Columbia that are not Columbia’s regularly scheduled quarterly adjustments.

RESA had previously filed a petition seeking a determination from the PUC that interim adjustments made to Columbia's purchased gas cost rate ('PGC'), effective March 1, 2023 and April 1, 2023, were illegal and unwarranted. Columbia filed an answer to the petition in which Columbia denied that its interim adjustments of the PGC was either illegal or unwarranted.

The terms of the Settlement are:

a. If in the future, Columbia desires to make an interim adjustment to the PGC, whether that adjustment be to increase or decrease the PGC, it will make a filing with the Commission seeking approval of such adjustment. Columbia reserves the right to make such filing on an expedited basis.

b. If Columbia seeks to adjust its PGC through a filing as described above, Columbia will provide notice to all suppliers ("NGSs") serving load on its system, by email, provided that it will only provide notice to NGSs [natural gas suppliers] that have a valid email address registered with Columbia for the receipt of notices.

RESA noted that the notice provided under the settlement will afford suppliers who may oppose the adjustment an opportunity to challenge the adjustment.

The settlement notes that it does not resolve RESA’s arguments regarding the legality or propriety of an interim PGC adjustment by Columbia, but is a compromise that allows the Joint Petitioners to move forward without litigating those issues and preserving the arguments made by the parties to this proceeding.

"The Settlement also leaves the determination of whether any particular interim adjustment is just and reasonable to the circumstances of any such future interim adjustment. The Settlement does not address the interim adjustment that prompted the filing of the Petition, and instead is oriented to providing a clear process for the future," RESA noted in a statement with the PUC

The settlement only applies to any interim PGC rate adjustments by Columbia

In approving the settlement, the PUC marked the proceeding as closed

P-2023-3039774

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