Press Release

PUC Reminds Consumers of Upcoming Public Input Hearing for Rate Increase Proposed by Leatherstocking Gas Company

Published on 9/8/2022

Filed under: Gas

September 15 Deadline for Telephonic Hearing to Gather Public Input from Natural Gas Service Customers and Other Concerned Parties

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today reminded consumers about the September 15 registration deadline for an upcoming telephonic hearing on September 19 to gather public input on a natural gas distribution service rate increase proposed by Leatherstocking Gas Company LLC (Leatherstocking).  The company provides natural gas service to approximately 450 residential and commercial gas customers in Susquehanna County.

You must pre-register by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, for the hearing, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. on September 19.

PUC Public Input Hearing

The public input hearing for the proposed Leatherstocking rate increase is scheduled for the following:

• Monday, Sept. 19, 2022 – Telephonic hearing will begin at 6 p.m.

PUC Administrative Law Judge Jeffrey A. Watson will preside over the hearing.

Signing Up for the Public Input Hearing

If you wish to testify at the telephonic public input hearing, you must pre-register with the Administrative Law Judge’s office by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. If you do not pre-register and provide the information listed below, you may not be able to testify. Individuals will testify in the order in which they pre-register.   

Individuals interested in testifying at the input hearing can pre-register by email or phone.

To pre-register by email, send an email to the judge’s Legal Assistant, Nicholas Miskanic at nmiskanic@pa.gov, providing the following information:

• Your first and last name.
• The Docket Number for the case (R-2022-3032764).
• The phone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing.
• If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.

To pre-register by phone, call the Office of Administrative Law Judge at 412-565-3550 and leave a message providing the following information:

• Your first and last name.
• The Docket Number for the case (R-2022-3032764).
• The phone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing.
• A phone number where you can be reached prior to the hearing, if it is necessary to contact you.
• Your email address, if you have one.
• If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.

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 any exhibits at the public input hearing, you must email your proposed exhibit(s) to Legal Assistant, Nicholas Miskanic at nmiskanic@pa.gov, by Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022.  In your email, you must a 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).  

Note: If you do not wish to testify but want to listen to the public input hearing, there is no need to pre-register. Instructions for listening to the hearing are included on the PUC hearing notice.

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.
  
  

Leatherstocking Rate Increase Request

Leatherstocking’s rate increase request – which was filed with the Commission on July 1, 2022 – proposes an annual increase in total gas revenues of $701,200 (32.35%). 

Under the Leatherstocking proposal, the total bill for a typical residential customer using 79 Ccf would increase from $169.82 to $226.19 per month (approximately 33.2%).

More information on the PUC ratemaking process is available on the Commission’s website. 

A final decision by the Commission on this rate increase request is due by April 1, 2023.

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 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-2022-3032764

Contact:

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