Latest news with #UtilitiesCommission
Globe and Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Direct Energy Regulated Services Announces Natural Gas Rates for June 2025
CALGARY, Alberta, May 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Direct Energy Regulated Services has announced default natural gas rates for June 2025. These rates will apply to customers who do not currently have a competitive supplier within the ATCO Gas North and South service territories. The method DERS uses to calculate the rates has been verified and approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission. North Service Territory The North territory includes customers living in and north of the City of Red Deer. For customers in the ATCO Gas North service territory, the June regulated natural gas rate is decreasing from the May rate of $2.419 per GJ to $1.775 per GJ. This rate reflects a market price for June supplies of approximately $1.821 per GJ as reported by the NGX, and incorporates an adjustment of $-0.047 per GJ for May and prior months. The typical residential gas bill for June based on an average 3 GJ of consumption would be approximately $72 in the North. South Service Territory The South territory includes customers living south of the City of Red Deer. For customers in the ATCO Gas South service territory, the June regulated natural gas rate is decreasing from the May rate of $2.419 per GJ to $1.775 per GJ. This rate reflects a market price for June supplies of approximately $1.821 per GJ as reported by the NGX, and incorporates an adjustment of $-0.047 per GJ for May and prior months. The typical residential gas bill for June based on an average 3 GJ of consumption would be approximately $58 in the South. Typical bill amounts between ATCO North and South regions may differ due to variances in transmission and distribution service provider (TDSP) charges levied by ATCO Gas.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Direct Energy Regulated Services Announces Natural Gas Rates for June 2025
CALGARY, Alberta, May 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Direct Energy Regulated Services has announced default natural gas rates for June 2025. These rates will apply to customers who do not currently have a competitive supplier within the ATCO Gas North and South service territories. The method DERS uses to calculate the rates has been verified and approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission. North Service TerritoryThe North territory includes customers living in and north of the City of Red Deer. For customers in the ATCO Gas North service territory, the June regulated natural gas rate is decreasing from the May rate of $2.419 per GJ to $1.775 per GJ. This rate reflects a market price for June supplies of approximately $1.821 per GJ as reported by the NGX, and incorporates an adjustment of $-0.047 per GJ for May and prior months. The typical residential gas bill for June based on an average 3 GJ of consumption would be approximately $72 in the North. South Service TerritoryThe South territory includes customers living south of the City of Red Deer. For customers in the ATCO Gas South service territory, the June regulated natural gas rate is decreasing from the May rate of $2.419 per GJ to $1.775 per GJ. This rate reflects a market price for June supplies of approximately $1.821 per GJ as reported by the NGX, and incorporates an adjustment of $-0.047 per GJ for May and prior months. The typical residential gas bill for June based on an average 3 GJ of consumption would be approximately $58 in the South. Typical bill amounts between ATCO North and South regions may differ due to variances in transmission and distribution service provider (TDSP) charges levied by ATCO Gas. To learn more about regulated gas supply and view a complete list of competitive retailers, visit the Alberta government's customer choice website at CONTACT: Megan Talley Direct Energy 1-346-847-4325 news@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Municipal Utilities Commission reviews need for new facilities
May 26---- As continues to seek a location on which to construct new facilities, the Municipal Utilities Commission reviewed the project timeline leading to this point and the reason it is moving forward plans to build. Earlier this year, for land adjacent to, but just outside, city limits for its new facilities. However, the forcing a new search for a location. The council cited the cost of the land and of extending city utility services as the reason for the override. Some councilors thought the new facilities should be located in the "We've had some additional conversations with city staff, talking about, you know, how to move the project forward and getting on the same page," said Willmar Municipal Utilities Facilities and Maintenance Supervisor Kevin Marti during a recent Utilities Commission meeting. "We actually feel pretty good about those initial conversations that we have had." Willmar Municipal Utilities has been planning for this project for 15 years, according to Marti, identifying the need for a new building in 2010 and setting the goal to have a new building constructed by 2020. A consultant developed multiple building scenarios and conceptual renderings, and the initial project budget was in the $8 million to $10 million range. Current buildings are 75 to 80 years old and have structural issues, water damage and mold-contaminated systems, plus they lack fire alarm systems and sprinklers and do not comply with standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. "I will note that we don't just let the walls crack and the ceilings fall down and just not do anything about them," Marti said. "We do maintain the buildings the best that we can and take care of issues as they arise. We plan maintenance and try to take care of what we have the best way that we can." Willmar Municipal Utilities currently operates from four different locations throughout the city. Facility studies showed that a minimum of eight to 10 acres is needed to consolidate all its operations into one location. Typically, the search has centered around finding 12 to 15 acres to allow for future expansion. Service trucks currently need to be special-ordered to fit under the overhead garage doors and ceilings. Sharing photos of the trucks in the storage garages, Marti said, "You can see ... how tight that ceiling is to the line trucks that we order in. They have 3, 4 inches max in certain spots in that building." He noted that if something needs to be worked on inside the shop, other trucks have to be moved outside due to the tight space. Materials needed for maintenance or expansion are stored in multiple locations, causing inefficiencies and inventory control issues. "We've had issues in the past where things are disappearing on some of these sites that we don't have the best control over," Marti said. New facilities would provide opportunities for Willmar Municipal Utilities to become more energy-efficient and technology-friendly, as well as allowing for operational efficiency. "Obviously, anytime you're building something new or buying a new car, or whatever you're doing, you're advancing the technology that you're using and making life easier," Marti said, noting that the original facility study suggested that operational efficiency can be improved by as much as 17% to 34%. In 2015, Willmar Municipal Utilities formed a building committee that met seven times that year to evaluate buildings and site needs and then toured multiple sites throughout the state in 2016. Travel efficiency and space programming were also updated from the 2010 study by the original consultant. In 2017, Willmar Municipal Utilities increased the budget for new facilities, now estimating it would cost $12 million to $16 million, according to Marti. It was also determined that the current location at U.S. Highway 12 and Seventh Street Southwest was not a viable option for new facilities. Willmar Municipal Utilities planned to move forward with the project in 2019, but it was delayed due to higher priorities and funding limitations, according to Marti. The project again moved to the top of the list in 2021, when a site criteria list was developed and potential sites were identified and prioritized according to that list. In 2023, the cost estimates rose to $18 million and Willmar Municipal Utilities had $10 million procured, according to Marti. Representatives from Willmar Municipal Utilities toured several other utilities facilities throughout the region and in 2025 explored five properties along the Civic Center Drive area in northeast Willmar, but were unable to negotiate purchase agreements for any of those properties. Throughout the planning process for new facilities, the city of Willmar has also been exploring a new city hall, and the possibility of building a municipal campus for Willmar Municipal Utilities and the city hall has been explored, Marti explained. Discussions along those lines first took place in 2016 and were set aside. However, with multiple changes in city administration throughout the years, the possibility of a joint municipal campus was again explored in the years 2018, 2019 and 2023, according to Marti. "As a person who's been part of this since it started as a liaison to the City Council, I've been part of this project for a very long time, and I can tell you, you did a good summary here," Municipal Utilities Commission Chair Shawn Mueske told Marti. "The Utilities' plan has never changed," he continued, adding that he is struck by the fact that a project that started out between $8 million and $10 million is now $18 million. "And every year that goes by, that money goes less and less farther down the road. ... Hopefully we can get off of this and get a good, acceptable site, and get these dollars into the building they were supposed to be intended for from the beginning."
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC Senate panel endorses van der Vaart for Utilities Commission slot
Donald van der Vaart addresses Senators during his confirmation hearing on May 14, 2025. (Photo: NCGA screengrab) The North Carolina Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee voted Wednesday morning to confirm Donald van der Vaart as a member of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, forwarding the resolution to the Senate Select Committee on Nominations. Appointed by Republican Treasurer Brad Briner, van der Vaart previously served as North Carolina's environment secretary. He's a climate skeptic who was considered for EPA administrator during the first Trump administration. Van der Vaart began his state government career with two decades in the state's Division of Air Quality. Republican Gov. Pat McCrory promoted him to secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality in 2015, NC Newsline previously reported. His term on the Utilities Commission, if confirmed, would start July 1 of this year and expire on June 30, 2031. The Utilities Commission is an agency responsible for regulating the rates and services of all investor-owned public utilities in North Carolina. It's the oldest regulatory body in state government, according to its website. At Wednesday's meeting van der Vaart was asked a handful of mostly friendly questions. 'What specific strategies do you think you'll employ to ensure your decisions remain impartial, evidence-driven, and resistant to any undue influence from any of the stakeholder groups?' Sen. Buck Newton (R-Greene, Wayne, Wilson) asked. Van der Vaart said he would rely on the structure that's currently in place, which includes a 'capable' staff that works independently. 'I'm very much interested in using the transparency to the public to provide a forum where free discussions can be not only had, but also viewed,' he said. He's faced criticism in the past due to a potential conflict of interest with his wife's work. Van der Vaart served as the chief administrative judge on a DEQ dispute over the regulation of a toxic chemical in September. His wife Sandra is chair of the North Carolina Chamber Legal Institute, a prominent lobbying group opposed to PFAS regulation, the Port City Daily reported. Newton also asked Van der Vaart to share his thoughts on Senate Bill 261, which would eliminate the interim goal for Duke Energy to cut its carbon emissions by 2030. 'A lot of times, goals and mandates get conflated. Do you see this as a goal or some sort of a mandate?' asked Newton. Van der Vaart said the interim goal does provide the state with 'offramps' if things don't go as planned. 'I think if you look back a little bit into this, you'll see that some of the load predictions and the requirements that were anticipated in the past turned out to be somewhat inaccurate. Now the 2050 goal appears to be a mandate,' Van der Vaart responded. Critics of SB 261 have argued that not having an intermediate goal could make it harder to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The bill was fast tracked through the Senate in March, but has yet to see action in the House this session. Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake) joked that van der Vaart may hold the most degrees out of all nominees in front of the legislature: a bachelor's in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University, a master's in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University, and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge. Chaudhuri also asked what van der Vaart thought was the most important role for the utilities commission. 'The most important role, despite the fact that we regulate a number of utility functions, is to deliver reliable and affordable energy within the confines that are mandated,' van der Vaart said. 'We need to work very hard to maintain the affordability of our electricity… If we didn't have a consumer advocacy function in North Carolina, then we would be ill served.' Asked about the rising demand for natural gas and pipeline capacity to meet industrial growth, Van der Vaart said this was an issue of critical importance in sustaining the electric grid. 'I think that one of my interests will be to determine and to convince myself that we have the kind of physical capacity and redundancy from a national security standpoint to be able to continue to deliver manufacturing support electricity and various other residential uses of natural gas reliably in the future.' Environmental groups and clean energy advocates have raised concerns about the build out of natural gas pipelines, amid worries about the impacts on water, air and habitats, and greenhouse gas emissions. Along with voting to confirm van der Vaart, the committee heard a resolution to approve Reid Wilson as the DEQ secretary, following appointment from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. This portion was 'discussion only' and the panel did not take a vote. Wilson formerly served as secretary for the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources from 2021 to 2024. Before that, he was DNCR's chief deputy secretary from 2017 to 2020. He's been serving as DEQ secretary on an interim basis while awaiting confirmation. Clayton Henkel contributed to this report.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
N.C. Treasurer names conservative climate skeptic to state Utilities Commission
Image: NC Utilities Commission - This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. Donald van der Vaart—the state's former environment secretary and a climate skeptic who was shortlisted for EPA administrator during the first Trump administration—has been appointed to the North Carolina Utilities Commission by Republican Treasurer Brad Briner. Van der Vaart started his career in state government as a 20-year employee in the Division of Air Quality and was promoted to secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory in 2015. He was a proponent of offshore drilling and fracking. The Utilities Commission regulates the rates and services of utilities like Duke Energy and companies that provide gas, electricity and drinking water. In that role, the commission oversees the state's transition to renewable energy and is also responsible for ensuring the safety of natural gas pipelines. 'North Carolinians need a strong voice on the North Carolina Utilities Commission,' Briner said in a press release. 'Don provides that voice, and his expertise and leadership will ensure that the citizens of North Carolina have access to low-cost, reliable energy.' The appointment still must be approved by the state House and Senate. Many environmental advocates oppose the appointment. Dan Crawford, director of government relations for the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters, called van der Vaart's appointment 'short sighted and a violation of the public trust. This appointment flies in the face of science and clean energy progress. It's like letting an arsonist guard the fire station.' Van der Vaart would earn roughly $150,000 as a utilities commissioner. 'I am deeply honored by Treasurer Briner's confidence in me,' van der Vaart said in the press release. 'I look forward to working to ensure that North Carolina's energy future remains reliable, affordable, and ever cleaner—safeguarding both our prosperity and our environment.' The treasurer did not have appointment power to the Utilities Commission until December, when the state legislature passed Senate Bill 382. The measure was ostensibly a disaster relief bill for communities devastated by Hurricane Helene, but also contained unrelated provisions that conservative lawmakers favored. Then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, vetoed the bill, but the Republican-controlled legislature overrode it. Before SB 382, the governor appointed the majority of the Utilities Commission—three seats. After the bill became law, one of those appointments went to the state treasurer. The bill also shrunk the membership from seven to five, starting in July: two appointments by the governor, one by the state treasurer and one each to the House and Senate leadership. The treasurer and legislative leaders are all Republicans, meaning the GOP will have control of the new five-member commission. Earlier this month Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat elected in November, petitioned a Wake County court for a temporary restraining order to thwart the treasurer's appointment power, arguing it violates the state Constitution. The filing names House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate President Pro Temp Phil Berger as defendants. A spokesperson for the governor's office told Inside Climate News that 'the parties are currently trying to work out a briefing schedule to get this dispute resolved as expeditiously as possible so that the Governor can continue the work that voters elected him to do.' When Cooper was elected governor in 2016, van der Vaart could have lost his job as a political appointee. Instead, van der Vaart used his statutory authority to demote himself to a middle management position in the Division of Air Quality. He held that post for a year until he co-authored a lengthy opinion piece in a national environmental law journal calling for the elimination of a key air quality rule, an opinion that contradicted the stance of the agency. Shortly after then-DEQ Secretary Michael Regan placed van der Vaart on administrative leave, he resigned. When Donald Trump won election in 2016, van der Vaart wrote him a congratulatory letter that earned him consideration for EPA administrator. In part, the letter read: 'We must put an end to the idea that more regulation is always good, and instead allow state and local experts to improve the environment.' The top EPA post went instead to Scott Pruitt, who named van der Vaart to the EPA's Science Advisory Board. In a 2018 opinion piece for The Hill, van der Vaart wrote that some environmental groups were 'serving as proxies for the Russians,' and to protect the environment Trump should investigate those allegations. Van der Vaart returned to state government in 2019 when Berger, the State Senate leader, appointed him to the Environmental Management Commission. The EMC makes environmental rules that DEQ must follow. His ascent continued when the chief justice of the state Supreme Court named him the chief administrative law judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings. The quasi-judicial agency presides over contested cases of administrative law. He has commonly assigned himself cases involving DEQ and has often ruled against the agency. If van der Vaart joins the Utilities Commission, he would resign his judgeship.
