If approved, it will reportedly be the first natural gas delivery rate case increase for National Grid’s upstate New York customers since 1996.
The filing provides the funding for National Grid’s expansion of gas energy efficiency programs including home weatherization, incentives to purchase efficient appliances, interactive online efficiency tools, system infrastructure and co-generation opportunities for commercial, industrial and municipal customers, and additional funding for low-income programs.
The proposal is consistent with the New York State Public Service Commission’s (NYSPSC) objective of expanding energy efficiency and the state’s goal of reducing projected energy usage by 15%, by 2015.
Nickolas Stavropoulos, National Grid’s executive vice president of US gas distribution, said: Investment in efficiency programs and infrastructure are the twin pillars of reliably delivering the benefits of natural gas, the fuel of choice to support the power of action on climate change, to our customers. Through cost control, prudent management, new technology, merger synergy savings and other actions, National Grid has been able to avoid increasing base gas delivery rates for more than a decade.
