PUC Schedules Hearings to Gather Public Input on Proposed Rate Increase Request by Peoples Natural Gas

PUC Schedules Hearings to Gather Public Input on Proposed Rate Increase Request by Peoples Natural Gas

Published on 5/21/2026

Filed under: Consumer Education Gas

Early June in-person and telephonic public input hearings scheduled in Cambria, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties

HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) will hold a series of in-person and telephonic hearings to gather public input on the proposed rate increase request by Peoples Natural Gas Company LLC (Peoples Gas), which provides natural gas distribution service to approximately 700,000 customers across Southwestern Pennsylvania.

On March 27, 2026, Peoples Gas filed a request to increase annual operating revenues for natural gas distribution service by approximately $163.2 million (13.8%). On April 16, 2026, the PUC voted to suspend and investigate the company's request which as proposed, would increase the average bill for a residential customer using 86 Mcf per year of natural gas from $122.20 per month to $138.23 per month (13.1%).

In-Person Public Input Hearings

In-person public input hearings will be held at the following locations and times:

• Tuesday, June 2, 2026 - Cambria County
  Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
  Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
  Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center
  301 Napoleon Street
  Johnstown, PA 15901

• Wednesday, June 3, 2026 - Allegheny County
  Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
  Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
  Ross Township Municipal Building (Board Room)
  1000 Ross Municipal Drive
  Pittsburgh, PA 15237

• Wednesday, June 10, 2026 - Westmoreland County
  Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
  Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.
  Westmoreland County Courthouse
  Public Meeting Room (Main Entrance, First Floor)
  2 N. Main Street
  Greensburg, PA 15601

Administrative Law Judge Charece Z. Collins will preside over the hearings.

For in-person hearings, pre-registration is not required.

Telephonic Public Input Hearings

• Thursday, June 11, 2026
  Hearing #1 will begin at 1 p.m.
  Hearing #2 will begin at 6 p.m.

If you wish to testify at one of the telephonic public input hearings, preregistration is encouraged but not required. Failure to pre-register, however, may result in you not being called to testify. If you choose to pre-register, you may pre-register by 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

To participate in a telephonic hearing, you must:

• Dial the toll-free conference number - 888-795-4352.
• Enter the PIN number when instructed - 72378378.
• Speak your name when prompted, and press #.
• Then, the telephone system will connect you to the hearing.

You may pre-register for the telephonic hearings by contacting UPUC Legal Assistant Christina Biggica, either by phone (717) 783-5453 or email at [email protected]. When pre-registering, you will need to provide the following information:

• Your first and last name.
• The time of the hearing at which you wish to testify.
• The telephone number you will be using to call into the public input hearing.
• A telephone number where you can be reached prior to the hearing if we need to contact you.
• Your email address, if you have one.
• If you require an interpreter to participate in the hearing, the language of the interpreter.

Assistance with Pre-Registration

If you need assistance pre-registering to testify at a telephonic hearing, you may have someone register for you, but they will need to provide all the information listed above. Additionally, if more than one person in your household would like to testify, one person may pre-register for other individuals in the same household, but we will need the information for each individual.

Requests for Interpreters

If you require an interpreter, please pre-register as soon as possible.

If you register too close to the hearing date, there may not be enough time to arrange for an interpreter. If you request an interpreter, every reasonable effort will be made to have one present.

TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Service number for persons who are deaf or hearing-impaired is 711.

Hearing Exhibits

If you intend to present any documents or exhibits at a public input hearing, you must email them to the Presiding Officer at [email protected]. The PUC administrative law judge will forward your exhibits to all the parties.

• Exhibits for any in-person public input hearing must be received by the Presiding Officer by 10 a.m. the day prior to the date of the public input hearing that you intend on testifying at.
  
  
• Exhibits for the telephonic public input hearings must be received by the Legal Assistant by 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

Questions

The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) represents the interests of utility customers before the PUC. If you have questions about the public input hearings or the Company's requested rate increase, please contact the OCA toll free on 800-684-6560 or by email at [email protected].

About the PUC

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Visit the PUC's website at puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the "Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission" or "PA PUC" on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Docket No.:
R-2026-3060855

Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  [email protected]
• David Hixson
  Deputy Press Secretary
  717-772-2766
  [email protected]