Legal 3 col x 6-3/4”
0722
CASE NO. 21-0416-G-390P
HOPE GAS INC., dba DOMINION ENERGY WEST VIRGINIA,
a public utility, Bridgeport, Harrison County.
Surcharge on Infrastructure Improvements.
NOTICE OF FILING AND HEARING
On May 28, 2021, Hope Gas, Inc., doing business as Dominion Energy West Virginia (Hope) filed its Annual Pipeline Replacement and Expansion Program (PREP) Application with revised PREP Rates, pursuant to W.Va. Code §24-2-lk, which authorizes the Public Service Commission of West Virginia to approve cost recovery of projects to replace, upgrade, and expand natural gas utility infrastructure that are deemed to be just and reasonable and in the public interest.
In its Application, Hope projects PREP capital investment for calendar year 2022 of $59 million as part of its Core Distribution System and Gathering Facilities multi-year plans. The Application also contains a true-up for actual versus projected 2020 calendar year PREP capital investment activity in its Core Distribution System. The PREP covers several categories of plant asset replacements and improvements, including mains, service lines, regulator stations and other plant equipment in its Core Distribution System and Gathering Facilities. These plant investments are proposed to be made in Hope service territories throughout the State. These projects are identified in the Application, which is on file and available for public inspection at the Commission’s offices at 201 Brooks Street, Charleston, West Virginia.
Hope proposes to recover costs associated with these investments through an additional increment within the fixed or volumetric, base rate component of its rates depending on the applicable rate schedule under which service is rendered, to be effective on November 1, 2021. Hope projects that if the program and rate increments are approved as requested, the average monthly bill for its various classes of customers will be changed on November 1, 2021, as follows:
Hope Proposed
TYPE OF CUSTOMER $ INCREASE % INCREASE
Residential $2.06 2.94%
Commercial $31.34 3.68%
Large Commercial $156.56 1.32%
Industrial $412.57 3.35%
Resale $185.40 1.87%
Gathering (PGAS) $401.76 0.71%
The increases shown are based on averages of all customers in the indicated classes. Each class may receive an increase greater or less than stated here, including, but not limited to, changes based on the Commission’s decision in Hope’s pending base rate (Case No. 20-0746-G-42T) and depreciation rate (Case No. 20-0745-G-D) case proceedings currently pending before the Commission. Individual customers may receive increases that are greater or less than average. Furthermore, the requested increased rates and charges are only a proposal and are subject to change (increase or decrease) by the Public Service Commission in its review of this filing. Any increase in rates and charges will not become effective until authorized and approved by the Public Service Commission.
The Commission set a procedural schedule, including a hearing on the Application, if necessary, that will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 23, 2021, in the Howard M. Cunningham Hearing Room at the Commission’s offices at 201 Brooks Street,
Charleston, West Virginia. If no opposition to the Application is received by the Commission within one week of the hearing date, the hearing may be waived and the Commission may issue a final order within 150 days of the Application filing date.
Anyone desiring to intervene should file a written petition to intervene within 20 days following the date of this publication unless otherwise modified by Commission order. All requests to intervene should briefly state the reason for the request to intervene and comply with the rules on intervention set forth in the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure. The Commission will receive public comments until the beginning of the hearing. All written comments and requests to intervene should state the case name and number and be addressed to Executive Secretary, Public Service Commission of West Virginia, P.O. Box 812, Charleston, West Virginia 25323, with copies to Brien J. Fricke, Senior Counsel, Hope Gas, Inc., dba Dominion Energy West Virginia, 120 Tredegar Street, RS-2, Richmond, Virginia 23219, and Kurt L. Krieger, P.O. Box 1588, Charleston, West Virginia 25326-1588.
HOPE GAS, INC., dba DOMINION ENERGY WEST VIRGINIA