May 28, 2015

Cassidy, Vitter Urge FERC to Protect Families, Small Businesses from Energy Rate Hike

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and David Vitter (R-LA) sent a letter to Norman Bay, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), regarding Gulf South Pipeline Company’s rate hike and restructuring proposal, which would dramatically increase rates for current consumers.

“Modernizing natural gas infrastructure is certainly important and worth the investment. But before anything is decided, we need to consider how this would affect current consumers, including Gulf Coast families and local small businesses, who will bear the brunt of the cost of that investment in the form of dramatically increased rates,” wrote the Senators. “Current ratepayers shouldn’t be required to pay for improvements to the pipeline system that will not provide additional benefits to them, especially when many of these families and small businesses are hard-pressed to pay their electric bills as it is.”

The FERC recently approved a recent rate and restructuring filing submitted by Gulf South Pipeline Company, which would increase rates on current customers between 200-400% each month. In today’s letter, Sens. Cassidy and Vitter urge the FERC to consider the economic consequences before making a final determination on the Gulf South Pipeline Company’s filing request.

Click HERE to read the letter. 

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