PUC Alert: Dec. 1 Utility Prices Are Changing - Natural Gas (+149% to -64.2%); Electric (+18.8% to -25.7%)

On November 15, the Public Utility Commission is alerting consumers that many natural gas and electric utilities are adjusting their energy supply prices on December 1 and reminding households to understand those changes, explore options to manage winter energy bills, and #CallUtilitiesNow to discuss affordability programs.

Natural Gas Prices

Natural Gas distribution company price change range from 149% increase to a 64.2% decrease for residential customers--

-- Columbia Gas of PA, decrease from $0.46849 to $0.2881 per therm (-38.5%);

-- National Fuel Gas, increase from $0.30959 to $0.3674 per Ccf (18.6%);

-- Peoples Natural Gas Co., increase from $1.2337 to $3.08 per Mcf (149%);

-- Peoples Gas Co. LLC, increase from $1.2337 to $3.08 per Mcf (149%);

-- Valley Energy, decrease from $0.94342 to $0.33758 per Ccf (-64.2%).

Changes in the prices to compare for PECO, Philadelphia Gas Works and UGI Utilities are anticipated on December 1.  Adjusted prices for those utilities will be available soon.

Electric Prices

Electric distribution company prices changes range from an 18.8% increase to an 18% decrease for residential customers-- 

-- Citizens’ Electric, estimated decrease from 13.333 cents to 10.964 cents per kWh (-18%);

-- Duquesne Light, estimated decrease from 11.45 cents to 10.46 cents per kWh (-8.6%);

-- Met-Ed, increase from 10.24 cents to 11.306 cents per kWh (10.4%);

-- PECO, estimated decrease from 9.672 cents to 8.919 cents per kWh (-7.8%);

-- Penelec, increase from 9.703 cents to 10.607 cents per kWh (9.3%);

-- Penn Power, increase from 10.556 cents to 11.231 cents per kWh (6.4%);

-- Pike Co. Light & Power, increase from 7.3005 cents to 8.67 cents per kWh (18.8%);

-- PPL, decrease from 12.126 cents to 11.028 cents per kWh (-9%);

-- UGI Electric, decrease from 12.128 cents to 10.26 cents per kWh (-15.4%);

-- Wellsboro Electric, decrease from 12.393 cents to 9.206 cents per kWh (-25.7%); and

-- West Penn Power, increase from 9.929 cents to 10.001 cents per kWh (1%).

Business Electric Customers

For small business customers, the PUC notes that most EDCs are also adjusting their PTCs on December 1 in their small Commercial and Industrial rate classes.  

Among the state’s major EDCs, price changes in default service rates for small businesses will vary – ranging from PTC increases in the FirstEnergy service territories (Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power) between 1% to 10% to an anticipated decrease of nearly 9% for small business customers in the Duquesne Light service territory.

Shopping For Energy Suppliers

In most areas of Pennsylvania, consumers can choose who supplies their electricity –

based on price or other factors, such as renewable energy – as well as who supplies their natural gas.  Competitive offers may not be available in all areas.

The PUC’s PAPowerSwitch and PAGasSwitch energy shopping websites provide consumers and small businesses with valuable information on how to shop for supply services – enabling consumers to quickly compare offers from competitive suppliers against the default service rates from their local utilities and learn more on switching to a competitive supplier, or returning to default service, should they choose.

Click Here for the complete announcement.

Special 2023 Oil & Gas Compliance Reports:

-- DEP Issued At Least 472 Violations To 90 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators; 20 NOVs To 10 Shale Gas Operators For Abandoning Their Wells Without Plugging Them So Far In 2023  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Record 5,653 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators So Far In 2023; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues  [PaEN] 

-- Shale Gas Operators On Track To Have More Violations In 2023 - Frozen Gas Infrastructure; Explosion; Pad Fire; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack Outs; Major Spills;  Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home Highlight 2023 So Far  [PaEN] 

Weekly PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 11 to 17 -- 37 Conventional Abandoned Wells; 1,260+ Shale Gas Spill; 1,000 Gallon Conventional Oil Spill In State Park; Rager Mtn Gas Storage Still Not Cleaned Up  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - November 18 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of Danco Industries Petroleum Contaminated Wastewater Treatment Facility In Venango County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posted 66 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 18 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- State Dept. Of Health Pushing For Changes To Reduce Adverse Health Impacts From Natural Gas Development  [PaEN] 

-- Beaver County Residents Call For Accountability, Emergency Preparedness After Dozens Of Malfunctions, Pollution From Shell Petrochemical Plant  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Alert: Dec. 1 Utility Prices Are Changing - Natural Gas (+149% to -64.2%); Electric (+18.8% to -25.7%)  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Winter Natural Gas Reliability Overview Reports Now Available; But Do Not Address Winter Storm Elliot Issues  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Winter Storm Elliot’s Natural Gas Infrastructure Failures Not An Isolated Event; Report Says Electric Grid Still Vulnerable: ‘Winter Is Coming’

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Investigating Possible Winter Storm Elliott Market Manipulation By Natural Gas Pipelines, Power Plants, Marketers

NewsClips This Week:

-- Observer-Reporter Editorial: Is Shapiro’s Voluntary Agreement With CNX The Right Move For Gas Well Safety?  ‘We Do Not Trust Foxes To Guard Henhouses’ 

-- Warren Times Editorial: Right Partnership On Gas Wells?  ‘We Do Not Trust Foxes To Guard Henhouses’ [Shapiro-CNX Statement of Mutual Interests]

-- Spotlight PA - Lilly Riddle: Companies Behind Mariner East II Pipeline Paid $42 Million In Pollution Fines To Pennsylvania

-- Spotlight PA: Did Mariner East Pipeline Construction Affect Your Water?  Contact Spotlight PA

-- EnergyPortal.eu: Mariner East Pipeline Penalties Could Set Precedent For Environmental Enforcement; Attorney General’s Office Cited For Lack Of Transparency On Remediation Efforts

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Water Authority Warns Of Mandatory Water Restrictions As Dry Autumn Persists, Beaver Run Reservoir Continues To Fall [Shale Gas Drillers Withdrawn Water From The Reservoir For Fracking] 

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Water Authority Halts Fracking Water Withdrawals By CNX, Olympus Energy At Beaver Run Reservoir As Part Of Water Conservation Plan [Shale Gas Operators Took 301 Million Gallons From Reservoir This Year]

-- Williamsport Sun: Fracking Wastewater Spills At Eureka Resources Facility In Williamsport 

-- PA Capital-Star: PA’s Natural Gas Development Is Hurting Its Oldest Residents

-- Spotlight PA: PA Leads The Nation For Lyme Disease Cases; Oil & Gas Development, Fragmentation In Forests Boosts The Risk 

-- TribLive: PA Leads Nation In Lyme Disease Cases, Oil & Gas Development, Other Forest Fragmentation Boosting The Risk

-- Williamsport Sun: PA Leads The Nation For Lyme Disease Cases; Oil & Gas Development, Fragmentation In Forests Boosts The Risk 

-- Beaver County Residents Call For Accountability, Emergency Preparedness After Dozens Of Malfunctions, Pollution From Shell Petrochemical Plant  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Invenergy Scraps Plan For Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant In Allegheny County

-- The Allegheny Front: EPA Finds Spills, Leaks, Heavy Metals At MAX Environmental Landfill In Westmoreland County [75% Of Waste Comes From Shale Gas Industry ]

-- Williamsport Sun: Fracking Wastewater Spills At Eureka Resources Facility In Williamsport

-- Williamsport Sun Letter: Fracking Falsehood Spread By Sen. Yaw, Others - By Dean Marshall, Lock Haven

-- WHYY: Amtrak Backs Off Plan To Install Natural Gas Boilers At 30th Street Station In Philadelphia, Crediting New Climate Goals 

-- Hydrogen Insight: Plug Power Share Price Plunges 40% After Firm Admits It Could Fold In Next 12 Months [Key Player In Western PA Hydrogen Hub] 

-- New York State: Massive Southern Tier Gas Drilling Spree Proposed - 6,500 Land Leases Sought For Plan To Extract Shale Gas, Store Carbon Dioxide

-- New York State: NY DEC, State Legislators Muted On Massive Plan To Extract Natural Gas, Store Carbon Dioxide In Southern Tier; But Green Groups Outraged

-- TribLive/AP: Ohio Commission Approves Natural Gas Drilling In State Parks, Wildlife Areas Despite Fraud Investigation

-- Financial Times: New EU Rules On Methane Leaks To Hit Oil And Gas Importers

-- Reuters: EU Agrees To Law To Hit Fossil Fuel, LNG Natural Gas Imports With Methane Emissions Limits 

-- Bloomberg: EU Sets New Rules On LNG Natural Gas Imports - Production, Transportation

-- Bloomberg: Oil Majors’ Carbon Capture Plans Dubbed A ‘Dangerous Delusion’

[Posted: November 15, 2023]  PA Environment Digest