CANONSBURG, Pa., May 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Gas of
Maryland, Inc., a subsidiary of
NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), filed a request today with the Maryland
Public Service Commission (PSC) to approve revised rates for
further upgrading and replacement of the company's underground
natural gas distribution pipelines. If approved, these proposed
rate adjustments would not go into effect until December 2020.
Columbia Gas is committed to upgrading aging infrastructure. As
part of its long-term plan to modernize and expand its natural gas
distribution system, Columbia Gas has invested more than
$170 million in Maryland over the past decade and plans to
continue to invest in infrastructure replacement for the safety of
its communities. Economic development of the counties in
Western Maryland where Columbia
Gas provides service benefits greatly from this investment.
"Our nearly 65 full-time employees and over 100 contractors are
proud of our pipeline replacement program and our ability to
continue to serve our valued customers safely and reliably," said
Columbia Gas President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Huwar.
"We also remain committed to providing a positive customer
experience through an educated and trained workforce that is
focused on safely meeting or exceeding all federal and state
requirements while operating, upgrading and expanding our
distribution system."
In today's filing, Columbia Gas is seeking an annual revenue
increase of approximately $6.5
million. Approval of the proposal would result in the
average total bill for a residential customer who purchases 70
therms of gas per month from Columbia Gas to increase from
$77.65 to $89.43, or by 15.17 percent. The total bill for a
commercial customer purchasing 250 therms of gas from Columbia Gas
per month would increase from $256.23
to $285.09, or by 11.26 percent.
Rates for a small industrial customer purchasing 3,980 therms of
gas from Columbia Gas per month would increase from $2,534.42 to $2,652.35, or by 4.65 percent.
If the request is approved as filed, the total average
residential customer bill in 2021 would still be around 28 percent
lower than it was in 2010, when adjusted for inflation.
Response to COVID-19
With the communities we serve in mind and in response to
COVID-19, Columbia Gas has suspended shutoffs for nonpayment for
residential and commercial customers. Columbia Gas offers a wide
array of customer assistance and energy efficiency programs that
provide resources and tools for customers to save money and
energy.
"We want to assist our customers during the COVID-19 pandemic,"
Huwar said. "With that in mind, we are offering our most flexible
payment plans to customers who have been impacted or are
experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19, and we are
suspending late payment charges until further notice."
At all times, Columbia Gas is committed to providing our
low-income customers with the tools, resources, and programs to
stay safe and warm in their homes. These programs help customers
mitigate the impact of a rate adjustment or financial changes due
to economic conditions.
Review Process by PSC
While the company filed its request with the PSC today,
May 15, 2020, it is important to note
that after filing for a rate adjustment, the review process by the
PSC will take approximately seven months. As a result, in this
case, any approved and adjusted rates by the PSC would not go into
effect until December 2020.
How Customers Can Participate in the Rate Review
Process
It is important to note that the rate review process is very
public. Anyone interested in the case can participate by reaching
out to the PSC, and we encourage active involvement by our
customers and any interested parties. Customers can participate in
the rate review process in multiple ways, including through written
comments and attendance at public input hearings.
Customers with questions regarding the proposed rates may call
Columbia Gas at 1-888-460-4332 or visit
www.ColumbiaGasMD.com/ratecase for more information.
About Columbia Gas of Maryland
Columbia Gas of
Maryland delivers clean,
affordable, and efficient natural gas to approximately 33,000
customers in Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties. It is one of NiSource's
seven regulated utility companies. NiSource (NYSE: NI) is one of
the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.5
million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers
through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. More information
about Columbia Gas of Maryland and
NiSource is available at www.ColumbiaGasMD.com and
www.nisource.com.
About NiSource
NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) is one of
the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.5
million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across
seven states through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands.
Based in Merrillville, Indiana,
NiSource's approximately 8,400 employees are focused on safely
delivering reliable and affordable energy to our customers and
communities we serve. NiSource is a member of the Dow Jones
Sustainability - North America Index and the Bloomberg Gender
Equality Index and has been named by Forbes magazine among
America's Best Large Employers since 2016. Additional information
about NiSource, its investments in modern infrastructure and
systems, its commitments and its local brands can be found at
www.nisource.com. Follow us at
www.facebook.com/nisource,
www.linkedin.com/company/nisource or
www.twitter.com/nisourceinc. NI-F
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of federal securities laws. Investors and prospective
investors should understand that many factors govern whether any
forward-looking statement contained herein will be or can be
realized. Any one of those factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from those projected. Examples of forward-looking
statements in this press release include, but are not limited to,
statements and expectations regarding NiSource's or any of its
subsidiaries' plans, strategies, objectives, expected performance,
expenditures, recovery of expenditures through rates, stated on
either a consolidated or segment basis, and any and all underlying
assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of
historical fact. All forward-looking statements are based on
assumptions that management believes to be reasonable; however,
there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ
materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the projections, forecasts, estimates, and
expectations discussed in this press release include, among other
things, the ongoing impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic;
NiSource's debt obligations; any changes in NiSource's credit
rating or the credit rating of certain of NiSource's subsidiaries;
NiSource's ability to execute its growth strategy; changes in
general economic, capital and commodity market conditions; pension
funding obligations; economic regulation and the impact of
regulatory rate reviews; NiSource's ability to obtain expected
financial or regulatory outcomes; NiSource's ability to adapt to,
and manage costs related to, advances in technology; any changes in
our assumptions regarding the financial implications of the Greater
Lawrence Incident; compliance with the agreements entered into with
the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts to settle the U.S. Attorney's
Office investigation relating to the Greater Lawrence Incident; the
pending sale of the Columbia Gas of Massachusetts business, including the terms
and closing conditions under the asset purchase agreement;
potential incidents and other operating risks associated with our
business; our ability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage; the
outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings, investigations,
incidents, claims and litigation; any damage to NiSource's
reputation, including in connection with the Greater Lawrence
Incident; compliance with environmental laws and the costs of
associated liabilities; fluctuations in demand from residential and
commercial customers; economic conditions of certain industries;
the success of NIPSCO's electric generation strategy; the price of
energy commodities and related transportation costs; the
reliability of customers and suppliers to fulfill their payment and
contractual obligations; potential impairments of goodwill or
definite-lived intangible assets; changes in taxation and
accounting principles; the impact of an aging infrastructure; the
impact of climate change; potential cyber-attacks; construction
risks and natural gas costs and supply risks; extreme weather
conditions; the attraction and retention of a qualified work force;
the ability of NiSource's subsidiaries to generate cash; NiSource's
ability to manage new initiatives and organizational changes; the
performance of third-party suppliers and service providers; changes
in the method for determining LIBOR and the potential replacement
of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate; and other matters set forth
in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" section of NiSource's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2019 and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended March 31, 2020. A
credit rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold
securities, and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any
time by the assigning rating organization. In addition, dividends
are subject to board approval. All forward-looking statements are
expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary
statements. NiSource expressly disclaims any duty to update,
supplement or amend any of its forward-looking statements contained
in this press release, whether as a result of new information,
subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by applicable
law.
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SOURCE Columbia Gas of Maryland, Inc.