CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Public Service Commission of West Virginia has approved the Hope Gas Inc. acquisition of two smaller gas utilities and the service to customers of two gas suppliers. As a result of the deal, Hope Gas will add an estimated 530 customers.
The approval is the final step in the acquisition of Standard Gas Co. and Bazzle Gas Co., Inc. by Hope Gas.
Hope Gas, Inc., Bazzle Gas Co., and Standard Gas Co. filed a joint petition in October 2023 for Hope, which has 125,000 existing customers in 35 counties, to acquire Standard, which provides gas services to 400 customers in Lewis County, and Bazzle, which provides gas service to 60 customers in Lewis County.
Also in the deal, Hope would also acquire the service to 70 customers from McIntosh Oil & Gas, Inc., and Ross & Wharton Gas Co.
Standard and Bazzle remain active corporations but no longer provide regulated utilities.
Standard Gas Co. customers will continue to pay their current level of rates until Hope files a new rate case. Hope said it would adjust the rate of Bazzle’s customers to Hope’s current level since it said Bazzle’s charges “bear no reasonable relationship to the cost to provide service to Bazzle’s customers,” according to the order.