Fortnightly Magazine - April 1 1996

In Brief...

Sound bites from state and federal regulators.

Gas System Acquisitions. Alabama Gas Corp. can proceed to acquire gas distribution system of City of LaFayette, AL, and apply systemwide rates to all new customers. Order affirms capitalized income method to set fair-market value for the acquisition, rejects proposal by the Attorney General to switch to a discounted cash-flow method. Dkt. U-3644, Jan. 8, 1996 (Ala.P.S.C.).

Low-income Discounts.

LDC Acts to Retain Large Customers

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has authorized Northern Utilities Co., a natural gas local distribution company (LDC), to offer a special rate to extra-large firm sales customers. The new offering is designed to enable large customers with flat loads to obtain gas service at a rate that better reflects the lower nongas cost of service for such customers. Unusually large customers

wishing to take service under the new rate must demonstrate that their load is largely flat and, thus, maximizes the nongas costs of serving their needs.

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