Consumer session Tuesday in Carson City, Vegas for proposed Southwest Gas rate hike
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sun, 02/19/2023 - 2:52pm
Event Date:
February 21, 2023 - 6:00pm
The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada will hold a consumer session Tuesday, Feb. 21, in Carson City and Las Vegas to hear public comment regarding an annual rate adjustment application from Southwest Gas.
The utility proposes to increase the average Northern Nevada single-family residential customer monthly bill by $0.15, or 0.16 percent. Southern Nevada single-family residential customer monthly bill by $2.77, or 4.82 percent.
Nevada law requires natural gas utilities to file annual rate adjustment applications to review the reasonableness and prudence of gas procurement practices and other costs for the past year.
In addition to the review, the application adjusts the tracking rates for variable interest expense and unrecovered gas cost expense. Also adjusted are program rates for conservation and energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as general revenue adjustment rates, according to the PUCN in a news release.
The rates associated with the Mesquite and Spring Creek infrastructure expansions also will be reviewed in this application. Additionally, rates that affect transportation customers (industrial and large commercial customers) are adjusted, according to the news release.
The annual rate adjustment application, also known as the application for deferred energy accounting adjustment, is separate from the application that adjusts the general rates primarily related to facility infrastructure and from the quarterly gas cost filing that passes through the recorded costs of natural gas.
The PUCN may approve rates as proposed, or decrease or increase rates as necessary to ensure rates are just and reasonable. Public comment regarding this application will be accepted in-person or telephonically at the consumer session. Written comments also may be submitted to the PUCN electronically through the Electronic Filing System on the PUCN’s website, by hand-delivery, or via U.S. Mail.
The consumer session, which will be video conferenced between the PUCN’s Carson City and Las Vegas offices, is scheduled as follows:
Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at 6 p.m.
Live telephone conference: 1-415-655-0001
Use this access code for telephone conference: 2593 682 3743 Written comments via U.S. Mail to be addressed as follows: PUCN
Attn: Docket No. 22-11017
1150 E. William St., Carson City
or 9075 West Diablo Drive, Suite 250, Las Vegas
Public comment is limited to the contents of the application and speakers may be limited to five minutes. Representatives from the PUCN Regulatory Operations Staff and SWG will be present telephonically at the consumer session.
Information about the SWG application can be found on the PUCN’s website at puc.nv.gov. From the top navigational bar on the home page, select Dockets, followed by Gas Dockets. Scroll to Docket No. 22-11017 and click View. For information regarding the consumer session, contact the PUCN at (702) 486-7210 or (775) 684-6101. A hearing on this application is scheduled to begin Wednesday, May 17, at 10 a.m. A live link to the consumer session and hearing will be available on the PUCN’s website.
