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December 24, 2015

Maine PUC rejects rate increase settlement with Maine Natural Gas

Maine utilities regulators have rejected a settlement with Maine Natural Gas Corp. that would have allowed the gas supplier to raise rates in Augusta and Brunswick to recoup the costs of its gas pipeline expansion into the Kennebec Valley.

The Bangor Daily News reported that Maine Public Utilities Commission will continue to investigate the rate hike request from Maine Natural Gas after voting Tuesday to reject the settlement.

The company is looking to recover some the costs of the $40.2 million expansion project through its rates.

The settlement, which was approved by the city of Augusta and the Maine public advocate’s office, included a gas supply surcharge on new customers in Augusta and a 17% increase in delivery rates across all of its service area for three years, according to the BDN.

But a group of Brunswick entities, including Bowdoin College and the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, opposed the plan, saying the delivery rate increases were unfair to customers who did not stand to benefit from the Kennebec Valley expansion.

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