The Department of Public Service will conduct a public hearing in Riverhead next Monday on PSEG Long Island’s three-year electric rate proposal, the state agency announced yesterday.
The hearing will take place at Riverhead Free Library, 330 Court Street, Riverhead beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 2. A one-hour information session will immediately precede the public statement hearing; the information session will begin at 5:30 p.m.
PSEG Long Island submitted its three-year rate plan to state regulators on Jan. 30.
The utility is proposing a three-year increase of almost 4 percent annually to its delivery charges, which LIPA increased only twice during its 16 years as Long Island’s utility provider.
The first proposed increase would take effect in 2016, upon the expiration of a three-year rate freeze put in place in 2013. Delivery charges would increase by 3.8 in 2016, 3.9 in 2017 and 3.9 percent in 2018.
This translates to about a $3.30 monthly increase in the average residential customer’s utility bill, according to PSEG.
In addition, PSEG Long Island proposes investments in the following areas: maintaining and modernizing the electric system; implementing enhanced technologies to help customers manage their accounts; improving infrastructure to address storm preparedness and response; and improving system reliability by implementing an industry best-practice vegetation management program.
View documents filed with the Department of Public Service here.
DPS administrative law judges will hear public comments on the proposed rate plan at four upcoming public hearings announced yesterday. Verbatim transcripts of the hearings will be made for inclusion in the record of the proceeding, the agency said.
In the hour prior to the public statement hearing, representatives from PSEG Long Island and DPS staff will describe the three-year rate proposal and review process.
It is not necessary to be present at the start of the hearing, to make an appointment in advance, or to present written material to speak at the hearing. Persons will be called to speak after completing a request card, the department said.
Each public statement hearing will continue until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made.
Disabled persons requiring special accommodations should call the Department of Public Service’s Human Resources 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.
In addition to the forum and hearing on Monday in Riverhead, the Department of Public Service has scheduled the following information forums and public statement hearings:
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
William H. Rogers Legislative Building
Legislative Auditorium
725 Veterans Memorial Highway
Smithtown, NY 11787
Information Session: 6 p.m.
Public Statement Hearing: 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Queens Library at Seaside
116-15 Rockaway Beach Blvd.
Rockaway Park, NY 11694
Information Session: 1 p.m.
Public Statement Hearing: 2 p.m.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building
Legislative Chambers
1550 Franklin Avenue
Mineola, NY 11501
Information Session: 6 p.m.
Public Statement Hearing: 7 p.m.
A copy of PSEG Long Island’s three-year rate proposal may be viewed on the Department’s website by searching Matter 15-00262 (at www.dps.ny.gov, enter Matter 15-00262 in the box labeled “Search by Case Number”) or by clicking on the following link: http://on.ny.gov/1AFoHno
Written comments may be submitted until July 1. Comments should be addressed to DPS Secretary Kathleen H. Burgess and should refer to “Matter 15-00262 PSEG-LI Electric Rates.”
By email:
secretary@dps.ny.gov
By mail or delivery:
Hon. Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary
New York State Department of Public Service
Three Empire State Plaza
Albany, New York 12223-1350.
All written comments will become part of the record considered by the Department.
The department maintains a toll-free opinion line at 1-800-335-2120, which may be used to comment on this proposal. This number is designed to take comments about pending cases from in-state callers, 24 hours a day. Callers should press “1” to leave comments for the cases referenced above. These comments are not transcribed but a summary will be reported to the department.
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