Evening star., 1946-04-26
PUG Promises
Public HEARINGS
On Natural Gas
Company Announces
Plans to Convert
In Suburban Areas

III S010I 10tI N1CO9
The Public Utilities Commission
will hold public hearings to consider
desirability of supplying pure natur-
al gas to Washington consumers
when the matter is presented by the
Washington Gas Light Co.
This was promised today by James
H. Flanagan, commission chair
man. following the company's an
nouncement that it planned to con-
vert from the mixed natural and
manufactured product now supplied
to 100 per cent natural gas. In its
announcement the company said ii
had applied to regulatory bodies in
Maryland and Virginia for permis-
sion to change over in the suburban
areas.
MIR. Flanagan said no such appli-
cation had come before the PUG
here. When it does, he added, the
adequacy of natural gas supplies
cost of the change-over to the COM
pany, possible resultant rate of re-
ductions for consumers and related
matters would be examined in a
public hearing.
Suburban Conversion First.
The change-over to natural gas in
the District would begin early next
year and be accomplished by the
following fall Application for au-
thorization will be made to the PUG
sometime in advance, the company
said
The company plans to convert
first in the suburban area, before
the start OF the 1867 heating sea-
son." with all change-overs in Vir-
ginia and most of those in Maryland
completed by the end of the year.
A spokesman for the company said
new rate schedules have been filed
with the State Corporation Com
mission of Virginia and the Public
Service Commission of Maryland.
The cost would be no higher, the
company said, but the consumer
would be billed on the basis of ther-
NAL heaD units rather than by the
cubic foot.
Chairman L. Mccarthy Downs of
the Virginia commission said in
Richmond the new rates are being
gone over now and there would be
no hearing on the rates or the
change-over unless some community
served by the gas company re-
quests 1t.
Schedule Effective July l.
G. C. Boyer, chief engineer for
the commission, said the new rate
schedule would be effective July /,
when the conversion starts in Vir-
ginia. He said no objection has
been raised to the new schedule
since there would be no increase in
rates figured on heat value.
Frank Harper, secretary of the
Maryland Public Service Commits
sion, said the company's application
had been received at the commits
sion's Baltimore Offices this morn
ing. He said the manner of han
ding the application would not be
decided until the commission had
opportunity to study it.
In addition to plant changes, II
was explained, the shift would en-
tail house-to-house visits to adapt
every gas stove. water heater, fur
mace and other appliance to the
burning of pure natural gas. This
work would be done by the company
without charge to the consumer.
The company said its decision tc
seek the change followed a series
Of studies and installation of a new
pipeline from Texas to West Vir-
ginia, which supplements reserves
in the Appalachian area, source OF
natural gas for this section of the
country"
''Hotter" Than Mixed Gas.
Straight natural gas is hotter
than the mixed product now distrib-
uted here. It supplies 1,100 Brit
ish thermal units per cubic foot, as
against 600 BTUs for the present
gas, company spokesman said.
Because of the cost of the change
over, no immediate rate reduction
could be expected to follow the
shift, the spokesman said
In 1910 the PUG conducted a
study of the comparative merits of
natural and mixed gas service for
the Capital. F. P. Fisher, the
expert who prepared the report,
concluded that the changeover
would not be warranted unless sub
stantiap advantages to consumers
could be shown. The matter did
not proceed further, since the gas
company indicated there was some
doubt a safe margin of natural gas
supply could be assured under con-
ditions existing at that time.