PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
OF WEST VIRGINIA
CHARLESTON
CASE NO. 22-0709-G-390P
MOUNTAINEER GAS COMPANY,
Surcharge on Infrastructure Improvements.
NOTICE OF FILING AND HEARING
On July 29, 2022, Mountaineer Gas Company
(Mountaineer) filed its annual Application for approval of
an Infrastructure Replacement and Expansion Program
for 2023 (2023 IREP) with revised IREP rates for 2023,
pursuant to W. Va. Code ยง 24-2-1k, 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, Mountaineer forecasts capital
investment for calendar year 2023 of $64.2 million as
part of its multi-year plan. The 2023 IREP covers
several categories of plant asset replacements and
improvements, including mains, service lines,
measurement and regulator stations, and house
regulators. These plant investments are proposed to be
made in Mountaineer service territories throughout the
State. These investments 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 and which may be
viewed on the Commission’s website,
www.psc.state.wv.us.
Mountaineer 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 January 1,
2023. Mountaineer projects that if the program and rate
increase are approved as requested, the average
monthly bill for its various classes of customers will be
changed on January 1, 2023 as follows:
Mountaineer Gas Company – Proposed
TYPE OF CUSTOMER $INCREASE %INCREASE
Residential $1.56 2.15%
Commercial $4.44 1.50%
Large
Commercial (*) $204.93 0.36%
Industrial (*) $302.96 0.68%
Resale $50.40 1.17%
(*) – Increases for Large Commercial and Industrial
customers assume transport customers purchase their
natural gas at the same price as the Company’s
Purchased Gas Adjustment rate.
The increases shown above are compared to the rates
currently in place and are based on averages of all
customers in the indicated class. 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 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 date on the Application, if necessary, that will
begin at 9:30 a.m., on November 17, 2022, continuing
on November 18, 2022, at 9:30 a.m., if necessary, 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. The Commission my cancel
the hearing for good cause shown. Any interested
persons intending to attend the hearing should monitor
the Commission web docket.
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 the Commission Executive
Secretary, P.O. Box 812, Charleston, West Virginia
25323. Public comments may also be filed online at
http://www.psc.state.wv.us/scripts/onlinecomments/
default.cfm by clicking the “Formal Case” link.
MOUNTAINEER GAS COMPANY
Jackson Kelly PLLC
TSN 10/5 4701