Public Notice No. 11330

Posted

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 subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction. (Wyo. Stat. §§ 37-1-101(a)(vi)(D), 37-2-112).

    2.    On October 31, 2022, 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, 2023, subject to refund, with final rates to be authorized on or before April 1, 2023. The Company’s proposed 2023 WIR Rates are as follows:

Customer Class    Proposed 2023 WIR Rate (per therm)

Residential General Service        $0.0231
Small General Service        $0.0139
Medium General Service        $0.0148
Large General Service        $0.0092
On-system Transportation Service    $0.0285

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 2022 WIR filing are stated to have been necessary integrity projects that improve the safety and reliability of the system for all customers.
4.    The proposed 2023 WIR Rates include: the costs of qualifying projects completed and in service or expected to be in service between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, which includes historical costs through September 30, 2022 and forecasted costs for October through December 2022; 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 proposed 2023 WIR Rates will have a monthly impact of $0.24 on an average residential customer’s bill and a $0.12 impact on the average Small General Service customer’s monthly bill.

    5.    This is not a complete description of the Application. BHWG’s Application is available for inspection at the Commission’s offices in Cheyenne, Wyoming, or online at: https://dms.wyo.gov/external/publicusers.aspx (enter Record No. 17189).

    6.    Anyone desiring to file a statement, intervention petition, protest or request for a public hearing in this matter must do so, in writing, on or before December 16, 2022. A proposed intervention request for hearing shall set forth the grounds, and the position and interest of the petitioner in this proceeding.

    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. Please mention Docket No. 30026-68-GM-22 in your communications.

    Dated: November 18, 2022.

Public Notice No. 11330. To be published in the Platte County Record-Times - November 30 and December 7, 2022.