Latest news with #HopeGas
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Stories of the Week: May 18 through May 24
CLARKSBURG, – Here are some of the top stories this week on the WBOY 12News Facebook page. West Virginia has submitted a request for a waiver to remove soft drinks from its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program offerings. The West Virginia Public Service Commission suspended any rate increase for Hope Gas until next year. Notre Dame High School and St. Mary's Grade School received a $3.33 million donation from a late Clarksburg resident. A Webster County student will march in the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. A Harrison County woman got to go on a motorcycle ride for her 90th birthday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
West Virginia residents protest proposed 25% Hope Gas rate hike
CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — Hope Gas customers across multiple counties in West Virginia received notice of a proposed rate increase that will take effect on May 30, and at least 95 letters of protest have been filed by residents. The proposed 40.95% overall increase includes a 25.41% increase for residential Hope Gas customers, a 35.42% increase for Peoples Gas residential customers, and even higher increases for some commercial customers, according to the letter. The increase will cause the average residential Hope Gas customer to pay about $21 more per month and the average Peoples Gas customer to pay $27 more per month, unless the proposal is denied by the Public Service Commission (PSC) of West Virginia. The proposed increase affects Hope Gas customers in Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monongalia, Nicholas, Pleasants, Preston, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Wirt, Wetzel, Wood and Wyoming counties. Things to keep in mind if you have Memorial Day travel plans According to documents on the PSC's website, 95 letters of protest have been filed in the case. Many of the letters are from residents who say that the rate increase will be a financial burden for customers. The Producers Issues Committee of the Gas and Oil Association of WV and the Consumer Advocate Division have both filed petitions to intervene in the case. The case is now with the PSC, with a suspension order due by May 29. In October of 2024, an about approximately 6% rate increase for Hope Gas was approved by the PSC. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Dominion Post
02-05-2025
- Business
- Dominion Post
Hope Gas files rate hike proposal with Public Service Commission
dbeard@ MORGANTOWN – Hope Gas filed with the Public Service Commission this week to increase its base rates. This is its first base rate case since 2020. Hope said in its April 30 announcement of the case that the impact will vary depending on whether the customer was already served by Hope or by one of the six companies it acquired in 2023 and 2024. The proposed monthly rate increase would range from $21.10 to $33.74. The PSC has 300 days to review the request and Hope projects the effective date for the new rates would be Feb. 25, 2026. Base rate cases cover a company's operational costs, not the costs of the gas it purchases to distribute to customers – which is handled in separate cases. Hope notes several factors included in its proposal: inflation since 2019; align the base rates for all Hope customers including recently acquired customers; investments in the safety and reliability of pipeline infrastructure; balance the costs appropriately between producers and customers based on the cost to serve those customer classes; creating a pilot program to provide bill payment assistance to eligible low-income families; creating a weather normalization mechanism that will adjust customer bills due to variations from normal weather. Hope said the proposed new rates will produce an additional $79.6 million in operating revenue. It has chosen to exclude an additional $7.5 million in revenue for costs from IT, its Pipeline Replacement and Expansion Program, and certain facilities. Here are Hope's proposed rate increases for the average monthly bill for various residential customers (actual increases would vary): existing Hope Gas, $21.10 (25.41%); former Peoples Gas, $27.17 (35.42%); former Southern Public Service, $33.74 (60.77%); former Standard/Bazzle, $28.46 (40.39%); former Consumers Gas, $22.25 (33.61%). Hope didn't include a projected change for 60 customers formerly serve by Hometown Gas. Hope consultant Melanie K. Popovich explained the proposed low-income discount program to the PSC. She said Hope serves 126,906 residential customers in 39 counties in West Virginia. Of those residential customers, 21,961 are estimated to be low-income households. The counties with the highest number of estimated low-income households are Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, and Wood. She said Hope is proposing a two-year pilot program limited to 2,500 qualifying low-income customers who would be offered a monthly bill discount of 25%. For example, if a qualifying customer has a monthly bill of $200, Hope would reduce it by $50 to $150. Jo Carol Farmer, Hope's senior vice president for Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, said, 'While inflation has increased costs across the board, Hope remains committed to providing natural gas service at the greatest value possible for the homes and businesses we serve and to continue investing in the future of the Mountain State. … 'We understand the impact price increases have on families and businesses. Many of these same increases have impacted our business over the past five years. We have done all we can to minimize the amount of this request while ensuring we can continue to provide the safe, reliable natural gas service necessary for our customers today and maintain the infrastructure needed for the state's future.'
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hope Gas asks PSC to put its abandonment cases on hold
Apr. 3—MORGANTOWN — Hope Gas has asked the state Public Service Commission to put on hold its proceedings to abandon its Red Lines pipeline system spanning 22 counties and convert its customers along those lines from natural gas to propane or electricity. Although Hope announced in January it had an agreement for Diversified Midstream to acquire the lines, Hope stated in its Wednesday filing the deal hasn't been finalized. Oil and gas producers along the line have raised concerns that without that access, there would be no way to move gas out of that area. Also, Hope plans to file a new base-rate case on April 30, and some producers want to see that in order to consider their interests in the cases. The farm tap and the abandonment cases were originally separate, and then briefly consolidated and separated again. "Hope believes it is in the best interest of all parties and Hope's customers that these proceedings be held in abeyance at this time, " Hope said. On Feb. 21, the PSC ruled that Hope Gas may convert about 479 farm-tap customers to propane or electricity, contingent on the PSC also permitting Hope to abandon its Red Lines. Hope has contended that the per-customer cost of maintaining those natural gas connections has become too costly. Producers along the lines have told the PSC of their concerns about their ongoing ability to transport their gas if Diversified acquires the lines, and raised questions about future maintenance of the lines. In a statement, Hope commented on Wednesday, "Some of the issues raised in these proceedings have been contentious, and some preliminary settlement discussions have also occurred." Hope said that it believed customers might benefit from the conclusion of these cases when it filed its new base-rate case, but that won't happen while the proceedings remain pending and contested. Hope is asking the PSC to issue an order as soon as possible on its request to put the Red Line proceedings on hold, until Hope files to once again continue them. In the meantime, it is canceling planned town hall meetings to speak with farm-tap customers along the lines. Hope proposed in filings last August and October to abandon the Red Lines, about 1, 069 miles, because they are no longer necessary or useful and that providing safe, reliable, economic service to the farm-tap customers along those lines is in jeopardy because existing service is either unsafe, unreliable, uneconomical, or any combination of the three. If the deal with Diversified goes through, Hope has said, it would still proceed with its plans to convert the farm tap customers to propane, or electricity provided by an electric utility if they prefer, at its own expense. While propane is more expensive, it would charge those customers its lower natural gas rate.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hope Gas Morgantown pipeline suits: Landowners share their stories
Mar. 23—dbeard @ MORGANTOWN — Hope Gas continues to pursue 23 condemnation suits for rights of way for its Morgantown Connector Project. The 30-mile pipeline is intended to increase natural gas supply to Morgantown. Hope filed 31 separate condemnation suits in Monongalia County Circuit Court, and eight of those have been settled and closed. Not all of the remaining landowners are happy with their dealings with Hope and four of them approached The Dominion Post to tell their stories. First, though, we again offered Hope a chance to comment on the progress on the project and the suits. Hope does not comment on active litigation but said, "We do understand the concerns of landowners and continue to work toward voluntary agreements." Hope said, "American energy and infrastructure are important parts of West Virginia's future. This project will build connections allowing north-central West Virginia to access more local energy. Hope's Morgantown Connector is creating much needed system resiliency for the hospitals, businesses, and homes in Morgantown. This project is building critical infrastructure needed for the region's future growth and development. "The project also offers immediate benefits to many people throughout the state, " Hope said. "Hope has a commitment to work with local contractors and suppliers on this project. Many of the dollars spent to build the Morgantown Connector will remain in the Mountain State. The project is also creating hundreds of local family-sustaining jobs for West Virginians and economic development opportunities for the Morgantown area." Hope is asking the court to grant entry and easements in order to undertake construction of the project. There are conditions. The landowner retains full right to own, use, enjoy and occupy the land that does not interfere with or is inconsistent with the rights of way and easements sought. But the landowner "shall not construct or permit to be constructed any house, structure or obstruction on, over or through said right of way that will interfere with the construction, maintenance or operation of the natural gas pipeline or appurtenances constructed therein." In a number of cases, the court is holding Hope's petitions in abeyance pending Hope's provision of proposed fair market valuations of the properties in question. In others, the court found that Hope is a West Virginia public service corporation that provides public services in the state and is authorized to exercise the right of eminent domain "to take private property for the public purpose stated ... upon payment of just compensation." In this last group of cases, the court permits Hope to deposit with the court clerk the amount that Hope estimates as just compensation. The Kerns case Ralph and Mary Jane Kerns have a farm along Sugar Grove Road west of Westover. Hope has deposited a bond in this case. Mary Jane told their story. "Their contract's ridiculous, " she said. "Everything's for Hope. They're going to take our land, whether we want them to or not, that we've worked all of our life for. And at no fair price. ... They tie us up forever, and all we do is pay the taxes on the land that we can't possibly use. ... We've been here since 1968, and our grandfather was here before then." Like others who spoke to The Dominion Post, the Kernses are concerned about the proximity of the line to homes. "The ramifications, God forbid, if this pipeline would explode, because it's a high-pressure one, are catastrophic, and it's all around our family." While they don't care for Hope's offer, she said, "It's not really about the money, it's about taking our rights away." The Six case George Six is one of several family members who have neighboring farms along 7 totaling about 500 acres. They raise livestock on the farms. One day, he said, they saw some flags and learned Hope surveyors were on their land. "They claimed that they had given us notice, but they had not given anyone notice — our neighbors or anyone — and decided that that was OK, just to go ahead and survey through. Well, me being a licensed surveyor, that's not the case. You just don't have that right." So Hope representatives came and talked with them, saying they were planning a pipeline route. They let Hope go ahead, having long experience with pipelines under their land. Hope told them, "Well, once we get our routing done, we'll come back and try and work out some details as to where we go and everything else, which was fine with us." But Hope came back with a lowball offer, he said, and told them, "If you don't like it, we're going to use our right of condemnation." The route was right through the middle of one of their properties that included a stream, Six said, cutting off access. Talks failed and the told the land man never to return. Hope filed its condemnation suit. "We have tried to work a deal with Hope. any way that we could, and have been unsuccessful there." He's sold rights of way for eight times the amount Hope offered, he said. One of his concerns is that the pipeline doesn't serve anybody along its route ; it's just a transmission line. "It's not going to benefit us as landowners." The Sixes are in the timber business, he said. "We'll never have timber on our property. We will never be able to use that section of our property." But they'll keep paying property taxes on it. "Some of the best building sites on the property they're going through, they're going right through the center of it. And we've asked them to just adjust the line and to work with us and all that. [But Hope says ] 'That's where it goes or else.' That's not right. That isn't right." The Tennant case Marion Tennant lives in a hollow just outside Wadestown. We joined Tennant and his neighbor, Danny Thomas, for a tour of his property: the meadow where contractors were placing warning signs and unloading lumber that day for a bridge to cross his creek, and up onto the ridge behind his house where downed timber he'd like to sell, but won't be able too, lay thick along the route. "They just dropped all the trees, " he said. "I'm 71 years old. I've lived here all my life. I grew up here. I wasn't interested in selling. And we didn't sell. They're putting their pipe in. They're going to maintain a 50-foot swath of our property that we have to pay tax on." As with Six, Hope offered him the same low figure, and when he didn't accept, took it off the table for a far lower figure. "Now that's kicking the teeth brother. ... The property's been in my family for almost a hundred years. I wasn't interested in selling when people came to me." Hope's timber cutting, he said, cut off all his access to harvesting it, including his timber on the other side of his ridge. Hope won't even move it to a spot where he can get to it. They just plan to burn it where it lies. "They offered me less than $3, 000 for my timber. I've been informed that I've got one log up there that's worth $3, 000. I can't get to it. I don't have the equipment to get to it." They want him to sign a waiver, he said, so they can come onto his other property and stack it. They will only move it 500 feet. "They've never once came and sat down to negotiate a price. They just come in and said, 'We're going to put a high-pressure gas line through here. It's going to be a transmission line. It's going to feed Morgantown. Morgantown's low on gas." The relationship with Hope got so bad he won't let their representative step off the easement. "You can go on this 75-foot easement here. I can't stop you because you've got that. But the rest of it, I own. Don't step on it. You're trespassing. From there, I'll call the law." As with Six, he was never told Hope was surveying. "We found out through the grapevine why they were surveying. The surveyor showed up and all of a sudden you're seeing ribbons hanging." A coal mine longwall is going under his land and he thought that's what the ribbons were for. We asked Tennant what kind of timber he's losing. He said walnut, oak, cherry, maple, poplar, locust. Trunks 16 inches to 24 inches across. "I've got a list of it." He said, "It's time for me to just buckle down and fight. There's nothing I can do to stop it. And I can be a thorn in their side while it's going on." Case background The Morgantown Connector Project will run a total 30 miles from Wadestown in western Monongalia County eastward to the edge of Morgantown and then northwest to site near Osage. Hope wants to build the pipeline because it is experiencing a decline in supply capacity above its peak-day requirements. Also, Morgantown Energy Associates and other Morgantown-area customers want to increase their supply levels. In order to meet the demand, Hope proposed to enter into a 15-year contract with Columbia Gas for gas to be supplied to a new Hope-Columbia interconnection near Wadestown. The pipeline is estimated to cost $177, 437, 169. Hope estimates that the project will generate about 600 jobs, which will make up about half the project cost. Other major costs are the 30 miles of pipeline and five measurement and regulation stations. The new line would begin at Hope's interconnect with a Columbia Gas line near Wadestown. Using new and existing Hope right of way, it would run 25 miles to the Western edge of Morgantown to connect with other proposed Hope facilities (called Black Night) west of I-79 and Harmony Grove. Hope says about 5.5 miles of that right of way is in northern Marion County. From Black Night, the line would use existing and new third-party rights of way to go five miles northwest of Granville to a station called Mineral northwest of Osage. Hope is not proposing any rate hikes at this time for the pipeline but says it intends to recover costs in future base rate and purchased gas adjustment cases.
