National Grid NY Pulling Retail Supplier's Authority to Operate, Will Mass Transition Customers

The Brooklyn Union Gas Company d/b/a National Grid NY has notified East Coast Natural Gas Inc. that East Coast Natural Gas Inc.'s right to serve customers in the Brooklyn Union service territory will be involuntarily discontinued as of the close of business on April 30, 2012.

"The basis for this termination is your failure to provide natural gas (provided zero quantity) to the distribution utility's city gate. As you know, this is a violation of the New York State Public Service Commission's Uniform Business Practices (UBP) and the Company's tariff, and entitles the Company to discontinue you as a marketer effective on two business days' notice," National Grid NY said in an April 9 letter to East Coast Natural Gas Inc.

"Effective immediately, your right to switch additional customers is suspended. Following two business days of your receipt of this letter, your existing commodity customers on the Company's system will be notified of your ineligibility to perform as a marketer and they will be given an opportunity to utilize another marketer or return to the appropriate utility sales rate fifteen days from the date of that notice," National Grid NY told East Coast Natural Gas Inc.