Pennsylvania Code › Title 52 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part I - Public Utility Commission › Subpart C - Fixed Service Utilities › Chapter 53 - TARIFFS FOR NONCOMMON CARRIERS › RECOVERY OF FUEL COSTS BY GAS UTILITIES › Section 53.61 - Purpose

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) The purpose of
					 this section and §
											§
											53.62-53.68 (relating to recovery of
					 fuel costs by gas utilities) is to establish procedures under which the
					 Commission will review requests by gas utilities for recovery of purchased gas
					 costs and to specify data which utilities shall file to assist the Commission
					 in determining whether gas utilities are pursuing a least cost fuel procurement
					 policy consistent with the need to provide safe and adequate service. For
					 purposes of this section and §
											§
											53.62-53.68, natural gas includes:
					 natural gas, propane, liquefied natural gas, synthetic natural gas and natural
					 gas substitutes. (See
					 66 Pa.C.S. §
												1307(g) (relating to sliding
					 scale of rates; adjustments).)
(b)
					 This section and §
											§
											53.62-53.68 classify gas utilities into
					 two categories and set forth the filing requirements and procedures to be
					 followed in reviewing requests for recovery of purchased gas costs in
					 proceedings under
					 66 Pa.C.S. §
												1307 and
					 § 1308 (relating to voluntary changes in rates). The inclusion of this
					 section and §
											§
											53.62-53.68 has been necessitated by
					 passage of the act of May 31, 1984 (P. L. 370, No. 74),
					 66 Pa.C.S. §
												§
												514,
					 1307,
					 1317,
					 1318 and
					 2107. These sections
					 provide for a transition from existing procedures to the new
					 procedures.
(c) Questions mandated
					 by the act of May 31, 1984 (P. L. 370, No. 74),
					 66 Pa.C.S. §
												§
												1307,
					 1318 and
					 2107, are to be examined
					 both in
					 66 Pa.C.S. §
												1307(f) proceedings and in
					 base rate proceedings. In rate proceedings not under
					 66 Pa.C.S. §
												1307(f) when purchased gas
					 costs are at issue, a natural gas utility may incorporate by reference those
					 materials previously filed by the utility in its most recent
					 66 Pa.C.S. §
												1307(f) proceedings if
					 copies are distributed upon request to active parties of record.
The provisions of this §
													53.61 amended under the Public
						  Utility Code,
						  66 Pa.C.S. §
														§
														501,
						  504,
						  1301,
						  1304,
						  1307,
						  1317,
						  1318 and
						  1501.
This section cited in 52 Pa. Code §
													53.62 (relating to additional
						  information to be filed by gas utilities with gross annual intrastate operating
						  revenues in excess of $40 million seeking a change in base rates); 52 Pa. Code
						  §
													53.63 (relating to categories of
						  gas utilities); and 52 Pa. Code §
													53.64 (relating to filing
						  requirements for natural gas distributors with gross intrastate annual
						  operating revenues in excess of $40
						  million).