NO HEARINGS SET FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON O&R GAS-RATE HIKE by Ken Mahoney

NO HEARINGS SET FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON O&R GAS-RATE HIKE by Ken Mahoney

The state Public Service Commission is taking public comment on Orange and Rockland’s proposed rate increase for gas delivery. But this time, there won’t be the usual public hearings. The PSC says only written comments will be taken, a commission spokeswoman noting that Rocklanders “won’t have to be inconvenienced by coming in person.” It’s actually the second go-round for the proposed increase. O&R initially sought a gas-delivery hike of just under four percent, but then raised its request to nearly five and a-half percent. That rate would add close to 145-dollars to the average O-and-R customer’s yearly bill. The public has until July 30th to comment in writing to the PSC.