PSC Seeks Public Input on Rates for NYSEG and RG&E Services

ALBANY, NY (07/30/2010)(readMedia)-- The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) seeks public comment on a Joint Proposal to set electric and natural gas delivery rates for New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (NYSEG) for the period September 26, 2010, through December 31, 2013.

The Joint Proposal is the result of negotiations in which all parties to the NYSEG and RG&E rate cases were free to participate. The Joint Proposal is intended to resolve all outstanding issues in these cases. The Joint Proposal may be adopted, modified or rejected by the Commission.

The dates and locations for the public statement hearings are:

Monday, August 2 – Binghamton

Broome County Public Library

Decker Room

185 Court Street

Binghamton, NY

5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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Tuesday, August 3 – Rochester

City Hall Common Council Chambers

30 Church Street, 3rd floor

Rochester, NY

5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Under the Joint Proposal, a typical NYSEG residential electric customer would see an average monthly bill increase in the first year of the rate plan of approximately $1.45 or 2.2 percent. For RG&E electric customers, it would be $3.70, or 5.0 percent. Residential gas heating customers would see monthly bills increase by an average of $6.53, or 6.2 percent in NYSEG's service territory and $3.51, or 3.8 percent in RG&E's service territory. For the first three years of the rate plan, the proposed increases for typical residential customers are shown in the following table:

--------------------- Rate Year 1 Rate Year 2 Rate Year 3
NYSEG Electric 2.20% $1.45 1.20% $0.82 1.50% $1.00
NYSEG Gas 6.20% $6.53 3.70% $4.13 2.50% $2.95
RG&E Electric 5.00% $3.70 1.40% $1.11 2.10% $1.62
RG&E Gas 3.80% $3.51 2.50% $2.46 2.50% $2.46

The Joint Proposal also provides for, among other things, an expanded low-income program, economic development incentives to businesses, and electric and gas reliability and service quality performance targets with negative revenue adjustments for the benefit of customers if targets are missed.

Public Statement Hearing

The public will have an opportunity to present their comments at the hearings before an administrative law judge assigned by the Commission in these rate cases. Verbatim transcripts of the hearings will be made for inclusion in the record of the proceeding.

It is not necessary to be present at the start of the hearing, to make an appointment in advance or to present written material in order to speak at a public statement hearing. Speakers will be called after completing a card requesting time to speak. Anyone who fills out a card prior to 7:00 p.m. will have an opportunity to speak. The hearings will remain open and will continue until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made.

Disabled persons requiring special accommodations should place a collect call to the Department of Public Service's Human Resource Management Office at 518-474-2520 as soon as possible.

TDD users may request a sign language interpreter by placing a call through the New York Relay Service at 711 to reach the Department of Public Service's Human Resource Office at the 518-474-2520 number.

Other Ways to Comment

Other than speaking at the hearings, there are several other ways to submit comments:

By mail: Send your comments to the Honorable Jaclyn A. Brilling, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350. Your comments should refer to "Cases 09-E-0715 and 09-G-0716, NYSEG Rates" or to "Cases 09-E-0717 and 09-G-0718, RG&E Rates."

Toll-free Opinion Line: Comments may also be submitted through the Commission's Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This number is designed to take comments about pending cases from instate callers, 24 hours a day. Callers should select English or Spanish and press "1" to leave comments about the Joint Proposal.

The Internet: You may submit comments via the "PSC Comment Form" in the "Consumer Assistance" file accessed through the Commission's Web site at www.dps.state.ny.us or via the "Contact Us" link at www.AskPSC.com. Many libraries office free Internet access.

All statements and comments received by the administrative law judges and the Commission will be placed in the public case file and be made available for public inspection in the Commission's file room in its Albany offices, Central Files, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza.

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