On November 23, the Public Utility Commission released 2021 Winter Reliability Overview Reports from the state’s major natural gas distribution companies (NGDCs), along with a related Readiness Report from the Energy Association of Pennsylvania (EAP).

The PUC said, among the notable items from the reports, EAP projects that the 2021-22 winter home heating season will be significantly more expensive this year – with consumption likely to increase due to forecasts of colder weather, combined with a rise in natural gas prices.

The NGDCs that have electric generation customers pointed out that most of those customers have their own energy supply contracts, so the demands for winter electric generation are not expected to impact the utilities’ ability to serve their core residential and business customers.

Utilities also noted ongoing efforts to address COVID-19 issues, along with an increased- tempo of emergency exercises and drills, to ensure that staff are ready to respond to any actual emergencies that may occur during the winter heating season – including the participation of many utilities and stakeholders in the PUC’s “Operation Blue Flame 2021” exercise.

Click Here for copies of the natural gas winter reliability reports.

NewsClips:

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: With Energy Prices High, Pennsylvanians Urged To Review Heating Bill Options With Utilities

-- AP: Keystone [Armstrong County], Conemaugh [Westmoreland County] Coal-Fired Power Plants To Close By 2028 As A Result Of EPA Wastewater Rule

-- Exelon: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves Plan To Move Nuclear Power Plants, Retail Energy, Power Generation Business To Separate Company

-- ReadingE: Exelon Moving Nuclear Power Plants, Including Limerick, To Spin-Off Company

Related Articles:

-- PUC: Electric Utilities To Increase Cost Of Electricity They Provide To Non-Shopping Customers Dec. 1, Some As High As 50%; Increases Driven By Price Of Natural Gas  [PaEN]

-- IFO Reports PA Natural Gas Prices Increased 187.1% In Last Year, Higher Than Henry Hub Price  [PaEN]

[Posted: November 23, 2021]

11/29/2021