The New York Public Service Commission has authorized Brooklyn Union Gas Co., to amend its existing business-incentive and area-development rate programs.
Brooklyn Union provides rate reductions for new or expanding businesses in 26 specified regions under the area-development program. It also has provided similar benefits for new or expanding businesses under a system-wide, business-incentive rate program. The approved amendments are designed to target more of the discount costs for the system-wide program rather than to continue the current program, which emphasizes load growth in the designated areas.
The commission found the area-development approach had proven successful but that excess capacity in those areas was now decreasing. Significant opportunities for added system efficiencies existed in other areas, the PSC said. It rejected, however, a proposal by the utility to raise the eligibility threshold from 250 therms to 500 therms per month finding that the change might significantly reduce program participation. Re Brooklyn Union Gas Co., Case 96-G-0613, Feb. 21, 1997 (N.Y.P.S.C.).