Chattanooga – April 20, 2023 – Today, Chattanooga Gas filed a financial review of its 2022 revenues, operational costs and investments with the Tennessee Public Utility Commission (TPUC). Through TPUC’s Annual Rate Review Mechanism (ARM), the company seeks to adjust 2023 rates in order to recoup the cost of work performed to meet the region’s growing demand for natural gas service while continuing to maintain a safe, reliable and affordable natural gas system.
The current filing requests rate adjustments due to investment initiatives that strengthened the safety and reliability of Chattanooga Gas’ infrastructure, even on the coldest days of the year. On Dec. 23, 2022, Chattanooga Gas customers used 6% more natural gas than the previous winter’s peak, marking one of the highest natural gas usage days in company history.
Additional investments in 2022 supported more than 1,200 new residential and commercial customers and their demand, as well as provided greater capacity to high-growth residential, commercial and industrial areas. Chattanooga Gas is a proud partner with local businesses in making these investments to continue to make Hamilton and Bradley counties such an attractive community to live and work.
“At Chattanooga Gas, we are committed to making strategic infrastructure investments which enable us to meet the evolving needs of our customers and support the ever-growing Chattanooga area economy,” said Pedro Cherry, president and CEO of Chattanooga Gas. “Our ARM filing demonstrates our commitment in working with TPUC to bring safe, reliable and affordable natural gas service that our customers expect and deserve.”
To minimize impact on customers’ bills, Chattanooga Gas is limiting its rate request based on the voluntary rate cap proposed by the Company and approved by TPUC in 2021 for rate filings made in 2021 through 2024. Under this voluntary rate cap, the 2023 rate increase to the typical residential customer’s total average bill if approved would be $4.19 a month.
A TPUC decision on the ARM filing is expected in August. Any new rate adjustments likely would go into effect in September.
For more information about Chattanooga Gas visit www.chattanoogagas.com.
About Chattanooga Gas
Chattanooga Gas is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Chattanooga Gas provides retail natural gas sales and transportation services to approximately 68,000 customers in Hamilton and Bradley counties in southeast Tennessee. The Chattanooga Gas service area includes the communities of Chattanooga, Cleveland, Red Bank, East Ridge, Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain. For more information, visit chattanoogagas.com.
About Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America’s premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.3 million natural gas customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states with approximately 666,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other businesses include investments in interstate pipelines and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com.
Media Contact
Jeff Wilson
c: 404-245-4944
e: jeawilso@southernco.com