MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Public Service Commission will hold an evidentiary hearing Dec. 9 for their proposed plan to retire portions of the distribution system for more than 600 customers on the “farm tap” system and provide alternate means to heat homes.
Hope said the current condition of the pipeline that serves customers in portions of Barbour, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Marion, Mason, Monongalia, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Taylor, Tyler, Upshur, Wetzel, Wirt and Wood Counties is unsafe, uneconomical to operate or replace, so the company has offered to provide propane or electrical heaters.. The company would then pay for the installation and propane supply in the future.
Hope Gas released the following statement Monday:
Hope Gas acquired gathering facilities from Equitrans, L.P. in 2023 and from Dominion Gathering and Processing, Inc. in 2020. Those acquired gathering facilities comprise approximately 3,000 miles of gathering pipeline and provide gas service to approximately 14,800 Hope Gas customers. Hope Gas’ primary purpose and focus in acquiring these gathering pipelines was, and remains to preserve safe, reliable, and economical service to the approximately 14,800 customers. The gathering pipeline needs upgrades to continue providing safe and reliable service. One-third of that gathering system serves 479 customers. To continue providing economical service, Hope Gas has determined that those 479 customers should be transitioned to propane while remaining a Hope Gas customer receiving the same level of service as they do today. The pipeline serving those customers would be decommissioned rather than uneconomically upgraded. Hope Gas strives to find economical solutions for providing gas service to our customers.
These customers will be notified by mail and will be provided the opportunity to comment. The PSC’s Consumer Advocate Division along with Diversified Energy Company, PLC, and the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia all filed petitions to intervene on behalf of Hope Gas’ customers, which were all granted.
Comments can be made on the proposal by mail or online.