Delmarva Power customers in Delaware could see their electric and natural gas bills increase, if Delaware’s Public Service Commission (PSC) approves a request from Delmarva Power to raise rates.
Delmarva Power’s request to the PSC would adjust the typical Delaware electric residential customer’s monthly bill by about $3.68 and the typical residential natural gas customer’s monthly winter bill by about $6.
“The company’s seeking rates that reflect the costs associated with reliability improvements to the local energy grid including the implementation of new technology. This is all in an effort to meet customers’ needs and growth in Delaware,” said Delmarva Power spokesman Tim Stokes.
The total combined electric and natural gas ask is just under $40 million.
Delaware Public Advocate Drew Slater says his office filed its statutory notice to intervene in both the electric and gas rate cases.
“We will be filing testimony and reviewing their entire application to determine what would be just and reasonable rates,” said Slater.
Slater notes Delmarva Power does not typically get what it asks for in these requests
“I am not yet convinced on the electric side for instance that they need $24.6 million - nor on the gas side, I am not convinced that they need about $14 million,” said Slater.
Stokes says the proposed rate adjustments are critical to continue the utility’s efforts to enhance electric reliability and modernize its natural gas delivery system.
He notes that over the past two years, Delmarva Power has worked on several projects to modernize and strengthen the energy grid in Delaware, including upgrading distribution lines that deliver power to homes.
Delmarva Power has 324,000 electric customers in Delaware and 136,000 natural gas customers in the First State.
The Public Service Commission Public will hold public hearings held for customers to comment on the request, but those hearings have not been scheduled yet.
