Press Release

PUC Approves Several Utility Plans to Return Nearly $62 Million in Additional Federal Tax Savings to Customers

Published on 11/18/2021

Filed under: Electric Gas

Savings from Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to be Refunded as Monthly Credits on Customer Bills

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today approved plans submitted by several utilities to distribute accumulated tax savings associated with the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 which had not been previously addressed.

The Commission voted 3-0 to approve petitions filed by Peoples Gas Company, Pennsylvania Power Company (Penn Power), Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed), Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec) and West Penn Power Company to distribute tax savings that accumulated during the period of January 1, 2018, through June 30, 2018, along with and interest.

Under the plans approved today, the utilities will be returning the following accumulated tax savings and interest to their customers during the coming year:

• Peoples Gas – $3,723,470
• Penn Power – $5,602,115
• Met-Ed – $18,482,825
• Penelec – $19,005,569
• West Penn Power – $14,967,620

The Commission noted that in each of these situations the additional tax savings being returned to customers during 2022 will temporarily increase the utilities’ current TCJA surcharge/credit, which are also being used to return ongoing tax savings to customer.

The tax savings addressed in these utility plans accumulated before the PUC instituted a statewide process in 2018 to return utility tax savings to customers.  Per the Commission’s order, any utility that had not filed a base rate case on or before May 17, 2021, was required to submit a plan to address and return any tax savings that had accumulated between January 1, 2018, and June 30, 2018.

About the PUC

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

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 Nos.:

P-2021-3025898
P-2021-3025904
P-2021-3025905
P-2021-3025906
P-2021-3025908

Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-783-6152
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov