Proposed Maine Natural Gas rate increases face a state Public Utilities Commission public hearing tonight.

The hearing, which PUC officials said is meant to hear citizen views on the company’s proposed increase in rates, is tonight at 6:30 in the multi-purpose room at Brunswick High School, at 116 Maquoit Road in Brunswick.

Maine Natural Gas, which serves relatively new customers in the Augusta area in addition to its established service territory in the Brunswick area, proposed a rate increase and new rate plan to the PUC on March 31. Under the plan, according to a news release from the PUC, Maine Natural Gas’s delivery rates would go up by 21 percent on Dec. 1, 2015, another 21 percent on Dec. 1, 2016, and 39 percent on Dec. 1, 2017. At the conclusion of the plan, on Dec. 1, 2018, delivery rates would then be reduced by 25 percent.

The PUC is expected to issue a decision on the requested new rate plan late this fall.

Tonight’s proceeding is a public witness hearing. Anyone may participate by providing sworn or unsworn testimony, though only sworn testimony will become evidence in the case.

More information on the case is available online at the commission’s website, through the case management system, by entering docket number 2015-00005 in the “case lookup field.”


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