The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

Pursuant to the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act and the Wyoming Public Service Commission’s (Commission) Rules, the Commission hereby gives notice of the Application of Black Hills Wyoming Gas, LLC d/b/a Black Hills Energy (BHWG or the Company) for authority to implement Integrity Rider Rates.

1. BHWG is a public utility as defined by Wyo. Stat. § 37-1-101(a)(vi)(D), subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction pursuant to Wyo. Stat. § 37-2-112.

2. On November, 1 2021, BHWG filed its Application, together with testimony and exhibits, requesting authority to implement Wyoming Integrity Rider (WIR) Rates. The Company requests authority to implement its proposed WIR Rates, on an interim basis, on January 1, 2022, subject to refund, with final rates to be authorized on or before April 1, 2022. The Company’s proposed 2022 WIR Rates (per therm) are as follows: Residential General Service $0.0179, Small General Service $0.0126, Medium General Service $0.0119, Large General Service $0.0067, On-system Transportation Service $0.0066.

3. The WIR is a mechanism designed to recover costs arising between rate review filings, stemming from the Company’s investments in integrity programs aimed at improving system data and accelerating the replacement of higher risk pipe, including certain customer-owned yard lines. WIR includes six categories of projects: Data Infrastructure Improvement Program; At-Risk Meter Relocation and Yard Line Replacement Program; Span and Exposed Pipe Replacement Program; Problematic Pipe Replacement Program; Transmission Integrity Projects; and Storage Integrity Projects. The projects included in the 2021 WIR filing are stated to have been necessary integrity projects that improve the safety and reliability of the system for all customers.

4. The Company states its proposed 2022 WIR Rates include: the costs of qualifying projects completed and in service or expected to be in service between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021, which includes historical costs through September 30, 2021 and forecasted costs for October through December 2021; a true-up to actual investment costs and related revenue requirement from the amount in the previous year’s WIR rate; and a true-up of the revenue collected from customers to the amount reflecting the prior year’s trued-up investment. The Company states its proposed 2022 WIR Rates will have a monthly impact of $0.73 on an average residential customer’s bill and a $0.92 impact on the average Small General Service customer’s monthly bill.

5. This is not a complete description of the Application. Interested persons may inspect the Application at the Commission’s offices in Cheyenne, Wyoming, by visiting the Commission’s website at https://psc.wyo.gov, or by visiting BHWG’s website at http://www.blackhillsenergy.com.

6. Anyone wishing to file a statement, intervention petition, protest or request for a public hearing in this matter must do so in writing filed with the Commission on or before December 8, 2021. Any intervention request filed with the Commission shall set forth the grounds of the proposed intervention or request for hearing as well as the position and the interest of the petitioner in this proceeding. Please be sure to mention Docket No. 30026-51-GM-21 in all correspondence with the Commission.

7. If you wish to intervene in this matter or request a public hearing which you will attend and you require reasonable accommodation for a disability, call the Commission at (307) 777-7427 or write to the Commission at 2515 Warren Avenue, Suite 300, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002. Communications impaired persons may contact the Commission through Wyoming Relay by dialing 711.

Publish: November 18 and 25, 2021

 
 
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