The Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) has adopted new cost-of-service guidelines allowing natural gas local distribution companies (LDCs) to develop unbundled rate structures, including cost-based firm transportation rates. The DPUC also issued suggestions for refining existing supply and demand forecasting methods. According to the DPUC, current cost-of-service studies did not adequately address interclass subsidies at existing rate levels.
The Ohio Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved a settlement agreement in a case involving a safety code investigation of Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc., a natural gas local distribution company. The PUC had directed its staff to investigate whether Columbia Gas had violated safety code provisions governing maximum allowable operating pressures for pipeline segments.
In a case involving automatic adjustment clause procedures for state utilities, the Minnesota Public Service Commission (PSC) has directed Northern States Power Co. to make major modifications to its accounting system for gas costs. While approving a requested variance of its adjustment clause rules to allow the utility to recover a $1.05 million undercollection in its gas cost true-up rate, the PSC found the error due to the complexity of accounting for gas sales.
The Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC) has rejected a set of promotional programs proposed by Southwestern Electric Power Co. that included incentives for customers to install heat pumps and electric hot water heaters. The PSC found that the programs came down heavily on the side of fuel substitution as opposed to serving conservation goals.
The District of Columbia Public Service Commission (PSC) has rejected a proposal by Potomac Electric Power Co. calling for rate recovery of lost revenues associated with demand-side management (DSM) activities.
demand-side management programs. A study of the functioning of interim policies on DSM cost-recovery methods indicated that the lost revenue recovery encouraged the utility to meet its conservation resource goals, according to the PSC.
U S WEST to South Central Utah Telephone Association, and also approved an agreement governing the rate treatment for the associated gain to U S WEST. The rate agreement allows U S WEST to retain for shareholders a portion of the gain on the sale in return for an obligation to pay for certain system upgrades and reduce the sales price for other transfers currently under consideration by the PSC.
The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has signaled a willingness to remove the current business/residential differential from local telephone rates. While rejecting a proposal by its staff to begin the rate restructuring move in a case involving rates for a limited number of custom-calling services provided by Harrisonville Telephone Co., a small local exchange carrier, the ICC agreed that a movement toward eliminating the differential was appropriate under current pricing practices.
incremental-cost studies to measure the cost of providing individual services and to check for subsidies between service groups. Carriers will also be required to use an aggregate revenue approach to test pricing for competitive and noncompetitive services. Re Implementation of Section 13-507 of the Public Utilities Act, No. 92-0211, July 19, 1995 (Ill.C.C.).
has allowed Potomac Electric Power Co. rate recovery of costs associated with the development of electric vehicles for fleet use under alternate-fuel vehicle requirements imposed under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The PSC rejected a request by the Greater Washington Petroleum Committee, an oil industry trade group, to deny funding because electric vehicle technology had not evolved to a point that promotes consumer acceptance of a competitively priced vehicle.