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 ยง24-2-1k, 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 $2.92 4.22%
Commercial $41.29 6.04%
Large Commercial $130.99 1.60%
Industrial $628.37 5.46%
Resale $351.67 2.88%
Gathering (PGAS) $401.76 1.03%
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.
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
Steptoe & Jphnson PLLC
TSN 8/18 4303