Press Release

Media Advisory - PUC to Hold Hearing on Natural Gas Industry

Published on 9/29/2004

Filed under: Gas

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) will preside over a special hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30, in Hearing Room 1 of the Commonwealth Keystone Building , to review the level of competition that currently exists in the natural gas supply market in Pennsylvania .

Panelists scheduled to present are:

• Randy Magnani, Amerada Hess;
• Irwin Sonny Popowsky, Office of Consumer Advocate;
• Adrian Pye, Direct Energy;
• Thomas J. Butler, Dominion Retail Inc.;
• Daniel Regan, Energy Association of Pennsylvania ;
• Vincent A. Parisi, Interstate Gas Supply;
• T.W. Merrill, NRG Energy Center Pittsburgh ;
• Harry Kingerski, Shell Energy Services LLC;
• Matthew Sommer, Shipley Energy Company; and
• William R. Lloyd, Office of Small Business Advocate.

In May, the Commission initiated an investigation to determine the state of natural gas competition. The order asked natural gas distribution companies and natural gas suppliers to file specific data relating to the natural gas market.

The 1999 Natural Gas Choice and Competition Act enabled customers to purchase gas from independent suppliers, while still having their gas physically delivered by regulated distribution companies. The law directed the Public Utility Commission to investigate the level of competition five years after the law went into effect and to report its findings to the General Assembly. If the Commission concludes that effective competition does not exist, it must reconvene the stakeholders to explore options for increasing participation.

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Contact:

• Press Secretary
  Office of Communications
  717-787-5722