Massachusetts Department Of Public Utilities

Petition of Boston Gas Company and Colonial Gas Company, each doing business as National Grid, pursuant to G.L. c. 164, § 94 and 220 CMR 5.00, for Approval of General Increases in Base Distribution Rates for Gas Service.

On November 15, 2017, Boston Gas Company (“Boston Gas”) and Colonial Gas Company (“Colonial Gas”), each doing business as National Grid (“National Grid” or “Companies”), filed a petition with the Department of Public Utilities (“Department”) for an increase in gas base distribution rates.  The Department has docketed this matter as D.P.U. 17‑170, and has suspended the effective date of the proposed rate increase until October 1, 2018, to investigate the propriety of the Companies’ request.  The Companies represent that they will implement any change in rates beginning November 1, 2018.

The Companies seek approval for base distribution revenue increases of $178,905,053 for Boston Gas and $32,112,986 for Colonial Gas.  The Companies also propose to eliminate the amounts recovered through the targeted infrastructure recovery program and reduce the amounts recovered through the gas system enhancement plan and instead recover them through distribution rates.  Based on this proposal, the overall revenue increases sought are $68,188,370 for Boston Gas, which represents an increase of 13.0 percent on a total bill basis, and $19,213,443 for Colonial Gas, which represents an increase of 17.0 percent on a total bill basis.  National Grid states that if its petition is approved as requested, the proposed revenue increases will have the following effects:

For Boston Gas Customers:

a typical residential non-heating customer using 90 therms per year will experience an annual bill increase of $33.94, or 15 percent; 

a typical residential heating customer using 744 therms per year will experience an annual bill increase of $80.17, or seven percent; and

Commercial and industrial (“C&I”) customers will experience annual increases in the range of two percent to 23 percent, depending on the amount of their usage.

For Colonial Gas Customers:

a typical residential non-heating customer using 78 therms per year will experience an annual bill increase of $25.75, or 13 percent; 

a typical residential heating customer using 678 therms per year will experience an annual bill increase of $63.90, or seven percent; and

C&I customers will experience annual increases in the range of four percent to 17 percent, depending on the amount of their usage.

The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (“Attorney General”) has filed a notice to intervene in this matter pursuant to G.L. c. 12, § 11E.  Further, pursuant to G.L. c. 12, § 11E(b), the Attorney General has filed a notice of retention of experts and consultants to assist in her investigation of the Companies’ filing, and has requested Department approval to spend up to $250,000 in this regard.  Pursuant to G.L. c. 12, § 11E(b), the costs incurred by the Attorney General relative to her retention of experts and consultants may be recovered in the Companies’ rates.

The Department has scheduled the following public hearings to receive comment on National Grid’s filing:                                

Acton, MA

Monday, January 29, 2018, at 7:00 p.m.

Acton Town Hall

Faulkner Room, Room 204

472 Main Street

Acton, MA 01720

Lynn, MA

Tuesday, January 30, 2018, at 6:00 p.m.

Lynn City Hall

City Council Chambers

3 City Hall Square

Lynn, MA 01901

Haverhill, MA

Wednesday, January 31, 2018, at 6:00 p.m.

Haverhill City Hall

Room 301

4 Summer Street

Haverhill, MA 01830

Barnstable, MA

Monday, February 5, 2018, at 7:00 p.m.

Barnstable High School

Senior Cafeteria

744 W Main Street

Hyannis, MA 02601

Quincy, MA

Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 6:00 p.m.

Quincy City Hall

City Council Chambers

1305 Hancock Street

Quincy, MA 02169

Boston, MA

Wednesday, February 7, 2018, at 7:00 p.m.

Department of Public Utilities

One South Station

Second Floor

Boston, MA 02110

Lowell, MA

Thursday, February 8, 2018, at 7:00 p.m.

City Hall

City Council Chambers

375 Merrimack Street

Lowell, MA 01852

A procedural conference in this matter will be held at the Department’s office on Tuesday, December 19, 2017, at 2:00 p.m.

Persons interested in commenting on National Grid’s filing may appear at any of the public hearings or may file written comments by the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on Thursday, February 8, 2018.

Any person who desires to participate in the evidentiary phase of this proceeding must file a written petition for leave to intervene or to participate in the proceeding no later than the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on Monday, December 18, 2017.  A petition filed late may be disallowed as untimely, unless good cause is shown for waiver under 220 CMR 1.01(4).  To be allowed, a petition under 220 CMR 1.03(1) must satisfy the standing requirements of G.L. c. 30A, § 10.

Any person who seeks to intervene in this matter and also desires to comment on the Attorney General’s notice of retention of experts and consultants must file the comments no later than the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on Monday, December 18, 2017.

Written comments, petitions for leave to intervene or to participate, and comments on the Attorney General’s notice of retention of experts and consultants should be addressed to:  Mark D. Marini, Secretary, Department of Public Utilities, One South Station, Boston, MA 02110.  Receipt by the Department, not mailing, constitutes filing. 

Further, in addition to paper filings with the Department, all documents also should be submitted to the Department in electronic format using one of the following methods:  (1) by e‑mail attachment to dpu.efiling@state.ma.us and the Hearing Officer, carol.pieper@state.ma.us; or (2) on CD-ROM.  The text of the e-mail or CD-ROM must specify:  (1) the docket number of the proceeding (D.P.U. 17‑170); (2) the name of the person or company submitting the filing; and (3) a brief descriptive title of the document.  The electronic filing should also include the name, title, and telephone number of a person to contact in the event of questions about the filing.  All documents submitted in electronic format will be posted on the Department’s website:  website at http://web1.env.state.ma.us/DPU/FileRoom/dockets/bynumber (enter “17‑170”). 

A copy of National Grid’s filing is available for inspection during regular business hours at the following public libraries:  Acton Memorial Library, 486 Main Street, Acton, MA; Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton Center, MA; Leominster Public Library, 30 West Street, Leominster, MA; East Brookfield Public Library, 122 Connie Mack Drive, East Brookfield, MA; Lynn Public Library, 5 North Common Street, Lynn, MA; Salem Public Library, 370 Essex Street, Salem, MA; Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA; Thomas Crane Public Library, 40 Washington Street, Quincy, MA; Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA; Sturgis Library, 3090 Main Street, Barnstable, MA; and Haverhill Public Library, 99 Main Street, Haverhill, MA.

National Grid’s filing also is available on the Department’s website.  A copy of National Grid’s filing also is available at the offices of National Grid, 40 Sylvan Road, Waltham, MA 02451, and the Department’s offices, One South Station, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02110.  To request materials in accessible formats (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), contact the Department’s ADA coordinator at DPUADACoordinator@state.ma.us or (617) 305‑3642.  Any person desiring further information regarding National Grid’s petition should contact the Companies’ counsel, Daniel P. Venora, Esq., Keegan Werlin, 265 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, telephone (617) 951-1400.

A copy of the Attorney General’s notice of retention of experts and consultants is available for inspection during regular business hours at the Attorney General’s offices, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02110, and at the Department’s offices, One South Station, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02110.  The Attorney General’s notice of retention of experts and consultants also is available on the Department’s website.  Any person desiring further information regarding the Attorney General’s notice of retention of experts and consultants should contact Joseph W. Rogers, Assistant Attorney General, at (617) 727‑2200.

Any person desiring further information regarding this notice should contact Carol Pieper, Hearing Officer, Department of Public Utilities, at (617) 305-3500.

Reasonable accommodations at public or evidentiary hearings for people with disabilities are available upon request.  Include a description of the accommodation you will need, including as much detail as you can.  Also include a way the Department can contact you if we need more information.  Please provide as much advance notice as possible.  Last minute requests will be accepted, but may not be able to be accommodated.  Contact the Department’s ADA coordinator at DPUADACoordinator@state.ma.us or (617) 305-3642.