Press Release

PUC Announces December Public Input Hearings for Natural Gas Service Rate Increase Requested by PECO Energy Co.

Published on 11/18/2020

Filed under: Gas

Telephonic Hearings Scheduled for December 10 to Gather Input from Concerned Individuals and Organizations

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today announced a pair of early-December telephonic hearings to gather public input on a rate increase for natural gas service proposed by PECO Energy Co. (PECO). 

PUC Public Input Hearings

The PECO rate case public input hearings are scheduled on the date and times:

• Thursday, December 10, 2020 - Hearings will begin at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Deputy Chief Administrative Law Judge Christopher P. Pell will preside over both hearings.

If you wish to testify at the telephonic public input hearing, you must register by Monday, December 7, 2020 at 5 p.m.  If you do not pre-register, you will not be able to testify. 

Signing Up for the Public Input Hearings

Interested parties may register for the public input hearings in one of two ways – by telephone or online.

To register by phone, contact the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) at 1-800-684-6560 to provide your name, telephone number, email address, and the topic of your testimony.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the OCA.

Note: If you do not wish to testify, but want to listen to the public input hearing, you may also contact the OCA to obtain the call-in information. 

To register online for a specific hearing time, use the following links:

• December 10, 2020 at 1:00 p.m.: https://tinyurl.com/y58pyaqd
• December 10, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.: https://tinyurl.com/y43j9nuw

On the website, you will be asked to provide your name, address, email address, telephone number, organization (if any), and to indicate if you plan to testify.  After you register, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with the necessary dial in information for the Public Input Hearing.

Beginning at 1:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2020, customers will testify in the order they signed up.  Any persons that have not contacted the Office of Consumer Advocate or registered online by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 7, 2020, will not be able to participate in or listen to the telephonic public input hearings.

If you have any hearing exhibits to which you will refer during the hearing, one (1) copy must be emailed to Pam McNeal, Legal Assistant at pmcneal@pa.gov  and one (1) copy each must be sent to every other party.  The active service list, with available email addresses, is attached to the PUC hearing notice.  All copies must be received by no later than Monday, December 7, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. You must email the Legal Assistant with a copy of ANY document you file in this case.

If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearings, we will make every reasonable effort to have an interpreter present.  Please email the Legal Assistant at least three (3) business days prior to your hearing to submit your request.  AT&T Relay Service number for persons who are deaf or hearing-impaired:  1.800.654.5988

PECO Rate Increase Request

PECO’s request proposes an annual increase in operating revenues of $68.7 million (8.9%). The proposed request would increase the average monthly bill for a residential customer using 80 Ccf per month by $7.12 from $78.85 to $85.97 per month.

PECO provides gas service to approximately 534,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in several counties throughout southeastern Pennsylvania.

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.

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-2020-3018929

Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov