Press Release

PUC Reminds Consumers of Registration Deadline for Public Input Hearings on Proposed Rate Increase by National Fuel Gas

Published on 1/9/2023

Filed under: Consumer Education Gas

Individuals, Interested Parties Wishing to Testify Must Pre-Register No Later Than January 17 for Telephonic Hearings Being Held on January 19

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today reminded consumers and other concerned parties about the upcoming registration deadline on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, 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 are scheduled for the following:

• Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023 – Telephonic hearings will begin at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

PUC Administrative Law Judge Mary D. Long will preside over the hearings.

Signing Up for the Public Input Hearing

To testify at a telephonic public input hearing, you must register no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023.  Interested persons can register by email or telephone by contacting Judge Long’s office.

To pre-register by email, please 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, please call Judge Long’s office at 412-565-3550 and leave a message providing:

     (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;

     (4) a phone number where you can be reached prior to the hearing (if needed);

     (5) your email address (if you have one); and

     (6) if you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.

To participate in the public input hearings, you may use the following call-in information:

     Toll-free Bridge Number:  866-566-0649 
     PIN Number:  83345259
     (NOTE: Please speak your name when prompted, and press #)

If you do not pre-register and provide the information listed above, you may not be able to testify.  Individuals will testify in the order in which they pre-register.  

Listening to the Hearings 

If you do not wish to testify but want to listen to the public input hearing(s), please 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
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at 4 p.m. 

Interpreters and Assistance Registering

If you require an interpreter, please pre-register as soon as possible.  If you register 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. 

If you need assistance pre-registering to testify, you may have someone register for you, but they will need to provide all the information listed above.  Additionally, if more than one person in your 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, 2023.  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. 

NOTE:  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.  An attorney representing you should file a Notice of Appearance before the scheduled hearing date.

Offering Testimony at a Public Input Hearing

The PUC offers tips on how to participate in a public input hearing, including:

• Prepare what you are going to say beforehand. Even though it is not required, you may want to write out your statement, which can be read.
• Any formal testimony that is offered during the hearing will become part of the record on which the PUC will issue its final decision.
• Understand that parties in the case may want to ask you a question to clarify something you said.
  
  

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 October 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.

About the PUC

Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Docket No.:
R-2022-3035730

Contact:

• David Hixson
  Deputy Press Secretary
  717-772-2766
  dhixson@pa.gov