PURA panel adopts final decision in Yankee Gas (Eversource) rate case; two commissioners abstain

The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority on Wednesday adopted a final decision in docket 241201, an application by Yankee Gas Services Company, doing business as Eversource Energy, to amend its rate schedules, the authority announced.

Authority staff attorney Keenan told the five-member panel that the authority’s November 5, 2025 decision had set an annual revenue requirement for Yankee Gas of $82,243,643 for the rate year Nov. 1, 2025, through Oct. 31, 2026, and had reflected a $40,218,430 refund to ratepayers spread over three years. In the company’s statement of the case, Yankee Gas asked the authority to reconsider seven issues: depreciation expense; gross earnings tax (GET) expense; the aggregate 16-basis-point reduction to the company’s allowed return on equity (ROE); a disallowance of capitalized inspection costs; disallowance of capitalized incentive compensation; the distribution integrity management program (DIMP) tracker annual cap amount; and accounting for environmental remediation expense.

After hearing argument and reviewing the record, Keenan summarized, the authority approved a revised revenue requirement and removed the previously imposed aggregate 16-basis-point ROE reduction, leaving an allowed ROE of 9.48%. The authority also modified the company’s depreciation and GET expense treatment. The decision authorized deferred accounting for remediation costs with reconciliation against actual remediation spending and placed an annual cap on the amount of remediation costs eligible for deferral above the rate‑year amount; the transcript lists the rate‑year remediation amount and the cap but the numeric formatting in the meeting transcript is unclear and should be verified in docket 241201. The panel retained its disallowance of capitalized inspection costs, the disallowance of capitalized employee incentive compensation, and the DIMP tracker annual cap.

The company’s $40,218,430 refund to ratepayers remains reflected in the authority’s decision and, per Keenan’s presentation, will be spread over a three‑year period.

A commissioner moved to adopt item one, part A of the agenda and another commissioner seconded; the transcript records the motion and second but does not identify which commissioners made those remarks. Interim Chairman Tom Wheel announced at the meeting that he had participated personally and substantially in this case in a previous role at the Office of Consumer Counsel and therefore recused himself from discussions and would abstain from the vote. "I participated personally and substantially in this case in my former role at the Office of Consumer Counsel, and I have therefore recused myself from discussions pertaining to the outcome of this proceeding. For that reason, I will abstain from today's vote," Wheel said.

Commissioner Ell Everett Smith also announced he would abstain, saying the record was largely established before he joined PURA in early January and that he did not believe he could render an impartial decision. "I will abstain on this docket… I do not believe I can render an impartial, fair and fact‑based decision in this matter," Smith said.

PURA staff member Mr. Pumpin took the roll. Vice Chairman David Arcanti voted yes; Interim Commissioner Jan Beecher voted yes; Interim Commissioner Holly Cheeseman voted yes. With two abstentions recorded, the authority announced the adoption of item one, part A.

Chairman Wheel and other commissioners offered brief thanks to PURA staff for their work on multiple concurrent dockets. The special meeting adjourned; the authority noted its next regular meeting is scheduled for March 25, 2026, and it will reconvene for another special meeting on March 18, 2026, both by remote teleconference.

The decision language and numeric figures cited here are drawn from staff remarks presented to the panel; interested parties should consult docket 241201 for the text of the authority’s final decision and exact numeric tables.