ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) will hold virtual public statement hearings on Thursday, September 15, Wednesday, September 28, and Tuesday, October 18, 2022, to receive public comments concerning the proposed changes in the electric and gas delivery rates and practices of New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (RG&E) (collectively, the Companies).

On May 26, 2022, the Companies filed amendments to their electric and gas tariff schedules, proposing to increase their annual electric and gas delivery revenues effective May 1, 2023. NYSEG proposes to increase its electric delivery revenues by approximately $274 million (a 31% percent increase in base delivery revenues or a 16.8% increase in total revenues), and its natural gas delivery revenues by approximately $43.4 million (a 19% increase in base delivery revenues or a 9.8% increase in total revenues).

RG&E proposes to increase its electric delivery revenues by approximately $93.8 million (a 19% percent increase in base delivery revenues or an 11.3% increase in total revenues), and its natural gas delivery revenues by approximately $37.7 million (a 20.9% increase in base delivery revenues or a 9.7% increase in total revenues).

The actual bill impacts of these proposed changes on each customer class will vary based upon revenue allocation and rate design. Proposed elements and programs in the rate filings include:     (1) Customer Experience Improvements, which will allow for increased AMI functionality and mobile/digital interface options for customers; (2) Emergency Response Improvements, including increased access to outside resources and an automated system to contact life support equipment customers; (3) Climate Action and Innovation, including items such as additional charge ports for EVs, an Electric Heat Make Ready program, a Low-Income Clean Generation program, energy storage projects, a pilot program for geothermal district energy with the City of Ithaca, and a Hydrogen Blending Pilot; (4) Operations and Reliability, including replacement of aging infrastructure and additional full-time equivalents to improve reliability metrics, and reaching and maintaining a five-year vegetation management cycle; and (5) Gas Operations, which includes leak-prone pipe replacement and other gas safety initiatives.

The Companies’ pre-filed testimony and exhibits in these proceedings may be reviewed online at the Department of Public Service webpage, www.dps.ny.gov, by searching under Case 22-E-0317 or 22-G-0318 (NYSEG) and 22-E-0219 or 22-G-0320 (RG&E). Under New York State law, the Commission must consider a utility’s proposal and may adopt or reject it, in whole or in part, or modify it. In doing so, the Commission will consider changes proposed by the participating parties and the public. Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) are presiding over the gathering of public comments and all evidence relating to the proposal. Public statement hearings will be held over three days to obtain comments from the public concerning the Companies’ proposals.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that virtual public statement hearings will be held before ALJs Erika Bergen and Lindsey N. Overton, as follows:

Those wishing to comment on any aspect of these proceedings will have the opportunity to make a statement on the record at the virtual public statement hearings. Any person wishing to provide a public statement must pre-register the day before the relevant hearing.

To pre-register electronically: Participants who would like to provide a statement at any hearing, and will log in to the hearing electronically, must pre-register to do so by visiting www.webex.com by 4:30 p.m. on the day before the hearing. From the Webex homepage, registrants should click “Join” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, enter the appropriate event number listed above, and provide all requested information.

To attend and make a statement electronically: When logging in to a hearing on the appropriate date and time, participants should visit www.webex.com, click “Join” at the top right-hand corner of the screen, and enter the appropriate event number for the hearing.

To pre-register by phone: Any participant who is not able to log in to a hearing electronically may participate by phone. Call-in participants wishing to make a statement at the hearings must register to do so by 4:30 p.m. on the day before the hearing by calling 1-800-342-3330, where they should follow prompts to the appropriate hearing and provide the following information: first and last name, address, and phone number.

To attend and make a statement by phone: On the appropriate day and time of the hearing, dial (518) 549-0500 and enter the relevant access code listed above to join the hearing. The ALJs will call on each person who has registered to speak and will continue each hearing until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made to include their comments in the record. Time limits may be set for each speaker as necessary to afford all attendees an opportunity to be heard. It is recommended that lengthy comments be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation. A verbatim transcript of the hearings will be made for inclusion in the record of these cases.

To listen to the hearings: Pre-registration is not required to listen to a public statement hearing, and any person wishing to listen without making a comment may do so online or by phone. The hearings will be livestreamed on the Department of Public Service’s YouTube channel on the dates and times listed above. To access the YouTube channel, visit the Department’s website, www.dps.ny.gov, and click on the YouTube icon at the bottom of the homepage. In addition, any person without internet access may listen to the hearings by phone by calling (518) 549-0500 and entering the applicable access code.

Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should call the Department of Public Service’s Human Resources Management Office at (518) 474-2520 as soon as possible. TDD users may request a sign language interpreter by placing a call through the New York Relay Service at 711. Individuals with difficulty understanding or reading English are encouraged to call the Department at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this notice.

Other Ways to Comment: For those who cannot attend or prefer not to speak at a public statement hearing, there are several other ways to provide your comments to the Commission. Comments should refer to “Cases 22-E-0317 and 22-G-0318 – NYSEG” and/or “Cases 22-E-0319 and 22-G-0320 – RG&E.” Although comments will be accepted throughout the pendency of these proceedings, they are requested by March 31, 2023.

Internet or Mail: Go to www.dps.ny.gov, click on “Search” and enter case number 22-E-0317, 22-G-0318, 22-E-0319 or 22-G-0320 in the “Search by Case Number” field, and then click on “Post Comments” located at the top right of the page.

Alternatively, comments may be mailed to the Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350. All written comments will become part of the record considered by the Commission and may be accessed on the Department of Public Service website by searching the case number, as described above, and clicking on the “Public Comments” tab.

Toll-Free Opinion Line: Individuals may choose to submit comments by calling the Commission’s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120. This number is set up to receive in-state calls 24-hours a day. These calls are not transcribed verbatim, but a summary is provided to the Commission.