Utility With Choice Program to Acquire LDC Without Choice, Move Customers to Single Tariff

Liberty Utilities (EnergyNorth Natural Gas) Corp. has petitioned the New Hampshire PUC for approval of a transaction under which it would acquire New Hampshire Gas Corporation from Iberdrola USA Enterprises, Inc.

New Hampshire Gas Corporation provides retail gas service to approximately 1,200 customers in Keene, New Hampshire through a propane air system.

Relevant here is that Liberty Utilities states an intention in its petition to eventually move New Hampshire Gas Corporation customers to its EnergyNorth tariff, which includes a choice program for non-residential customers. Liberty Utilities is not seeking approval for any specific tariff changes or transition in the acquisition proceeding.

Liberty Utilities does not specifically say that New Hampshire Gas Corporation C&I customers would begin to receive a choice option under its proposed tariff migration, but does state broadly that it would move New Hampshire Gas Corporation customers to the EnergyNorth tariff, which provides such a choice option.

"In particular, EnergyNorth intends to make a future filing in a separate proceeding in which it will propose a formal plan to transition customers of the Keene System into EnergyNorth's tariff and rate structure over time," Liberty Utilities said in testimony

As a result of this transition, "NHGC customers will be billed entirely under EnergyNorth's tariff (including the LDAC), but under a separate Cost of Gas rate that will be included in the tariff and applicable only to former NHGC customers."

While the New Hampshire Gas Corporation system is currently a propane air system, Liberty Utilities is exploring the possibility of serving the Keene System via Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and/or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)