Consumer Advisory: Public Comment Hearings on Dec. 8 and Jan. 3 for Atmos Energy’s Proposed Natural Gas Rate Increase

DENVER - The Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate (UCA), Colorado’s advocate for residential, small commercial and agricultural utility ratepayers in rate and rule-making proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), is informing natural gas customers of Atmos Energy Corporation (Atmos), of two PUC remote public comment hearings for customers to comment on Atmos’s proposed natural gas rate increase.

This past August, Atmos submitted to the PUC its proposal to significantly increase rates for natural gas utility service. Atmos requests a net annual increase in revenue of about $7.7 million plus cost recovery of an estimated $750,000 for outside lawyers and other rate case expenses, for a total increase of about $8.5 million. Atmos also requests an extension of its System Safety and Integrity Rider (SSIR), a separate line item on customers’ bills, for five additional years through 2028.  Atmos requested that its increased rates go into effect on September 9, 2022, but UCA and other parties intervened and the PUC delayed the implementation of any rate increase  until sometime next year.

UCA has numerous concerns about Atmos Energy’s proposed increase.  UCA filed  vigorous testimony for why the increase should be rejected and, instead, a decrease in rates should be approved by the PUC.  UCA’s testimony, as well as all other filed documents in this case, can be found in the PUC’s website for E-filings for Proceeding No. 22AL-0348G.

UCA’s concerns include that Atmos proposes to earn a profit of almost 11% on its assets. Further, UCA is concerned that Atmos’s residential consumers would bear responsibility for all of the revenue increase, which would cause residential monthly annual gas bills to increase by approximately 8 to 9 percent for Atmos’s three rate areas. Atmos serves about 120,000 customers throughout Colorado including: Greeley and surrounding areas in the northeast; Steamboat Springs and Craig in the northwest; Salida, Gunnison and Canon City in central Colorado; Lamar and many small communities in the southeast corner of our state; and the Cortez and Durango area in the southwest corner of Colorado.  Additional rate impact info for each of Atmos’s service territories was provided by Atmos in its Notice to Customers as follows:

TOTAL PROPOSED MONTHLY BILL IMPACTS ON CUSTOMERS

9/5/2022

Remote Public Comment Hearings on December 8, 2022 and January 3, 2023

The UCA encourages Atmos customers to participate in the remote public comment hearings held via Zoom in which members of the public will be permitted to provide oral comments before the PUC (specifically, the Administrative Law Judge assigned to this case). Please note that there will be no in-person attendance at the remote public comment hearings. For those who wish to provide oral comments during the hearing, video-conference participation is solicited and encouraged because it allows for the hearing to be held in a manner most similar to in-person hearings. Interested persons will also have the option to participate by telephone.

• The first hearing is set for Thursday December 8, 2022 starting at 11:30 A.M., and continuing until concluded or until 1:30 P.M., whichever occurs first. Participants can Join by video conference using the Zoom link below or via telephone. Here are the details: 
  • Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84553674337?pwd=cjBFV3VaSWtPMDFIRDFNRVNqMnI4dz09
  • Meeting ID: 832 5459 5042
  • Pass Code: 772511
  • Phone: 1-719-359-4580
• The second hearing is set for Tuesday January 3, 2023 starting at 11:30 A.M., and continuing until concluded or until 1:30 P.M., whichever occurs first. Participants can participate via video conference using the Zoom link below or via telephone. Here are the details: 
  • Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84553674337?pwd=cjBFV3VaSWtPMDFIRDFNRVNqMnI4dz09
  • Meeting ID: 845 5367 4337
  • Pass Code: 744073
  • Phone: 1-719-359-4580

Participants choosing to use the Zoom video conferencing option are responsible for ensuring they have familiarized themselves with Zoom and are able to use it for the hearing. All are strongly encouraged to participate in a test meeting prior to the scheduled hearing. See https://zoom.us/test.

Participants in a Zoom hearing by video-conference are strongly encouraged to use a computer, smart phone, or tablet with internet access, an operational microphone, camera, and a speaker. A few minutes prior to the start of the hearing, participants must enter the Zoom link for the hearing in their internet browser. To register to comment during the public hearing, please click here: registration.

The PUC also accepts written comments.  Interested persons can also provide oral comments at the Remote Public Comment Hearing and file written comments. Interested persons are encouraged to submit written comments through either: 

• (a) the Commission’s Electronic Filing System at https://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/efi/EFI.homepage in this proceeding (22AL-0348G); 
• (b) the Commission’s website at https://puc.colorado.gov/ by clicking on the “FILE A COMMENT OR COMPLAINT” link. 
  • Select “expressing an OPINION through a Public Comment?”then click “Next”. On the following page select (Natural Gas (e.g., Heating) then click “Next”. 
  • On the following page click on the link https://www.dora.state.co.us/pls/efi/EFI_COMMENT_GUI.Gas. 
  • Select “Atmos Energy Corporation” and click “Next”. On the following page select “22AL-0348G - Filing to increase annual revenues and recovery of rate case expenses” then click “Next”. A page titled “Register Your Public Comment” will then open. Comments, along with attachments such as images, documents, etc., can be uploaded there. Both oral and written comments will be given the same weight in this proceeding.

Alternatively, written comments may be filed by mailing to: Colorado PUC, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202. Please include “Proceeding No. 22AL-0348G – Atmos Energy Corp. AL 584 - Tariff 7” when filling out the Comment field or providing any other written comments.

The PUC provides accommodation for all members of the public at its hearings and meetings by providing services for foreign language users and persons with disabilities upon receipt of a reasonable accommodation request. Requests can be made directly by contacting Holly Bise at 303.894.2024 or by emailing holly.bise@stateco.us.