Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

• Jun 4, 2025

  Stephen M. DeFrankReappointment · Chair

  The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously confirmed Stephen DeFrank to a second term as Commissioner and PUC Chair on June 4, 2025; his new term extends through April 1, 2030.

Address

PO Box 3265, Harrisburg, PA 17105

Phone

(717) 772-7777Fax (717) 783-8698

Website

puc.pa.gov ↗

Hearing calendars for this state are published on the official commission website.

• Updated Jun 1, 2025

  R-2025-3053499 · Gas · Closed

  Columbia Gas of PA Rate Case

  Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania's general rate case seeking $55.6 million in annual revenue increases for system safety and modernization; PUC approved a settlement in 2025.

Utility landscape

• PECO Energy Company IOU

  Philadelphia and surrounding southeastern Pennsylvania counties, serving approximately 1.6 million electric and 500,000 gas customers

  Exelon subsidiary subject to active PUC oversight on infrastructure modernization spending under Act 129 and distribution system planning. Filed a significant electric base rate case in 2024 seeking increased revenues tied to grid hardening and AMI deployment.

• PPL Electric Utilities IOU

  29 counties in central and eastern Pennsylvania, approximately 1.4 million customers

  Recently active in distribution modernization proceedings and EV infrastructure pilot programs. PPL has pursued multi-year rate plans and is engaged in PUC proceedings related to its smart grid investment program and default service procurement.

• West Penn Power (FirstEnergy) IOU

  Western Pennsylvania including Allegheny, Westmoreland, and surrounding counties, approximately 730,000 customers

  FirstEnergy subsidiary navigating residual reputational and regulatory scrutiny post-Ohio bribery scandal. Active in Pennsylvania grid modernization and reliability proceedings; subject to enhanced PUC reporting conditions.

• Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania (NiSource) IOU

  Statewide natural gas distribution serving approximately 420,000 customers across multiple service zones

  Undergoing heightened pipeline safety oversight following the 2018 Merrimack Valley incident involving its Massachusetts affiliate. PUC has required enhanced integrity management plans and third-party safety audits as conditions of ongoing operations.

• Peoples Natural Gas IOU

  Southwestern Pennsylvania including Allegheny, Butler, and Westmoreland counties, approximately 740,000 customers

  Actively pursuing main replacement and infrastructure surcharge recovery through the PUC's Distribution System Improvement Charge mechanism. Filed rate proceedings focused on accelerated cast iron and bare steel pipe replacement costs.

• Pennsylvania American Water IOU

  Statewide water and wastewater service in over 400 communities, approximately 670,000 customer connections

  Among the most frequently litigated water utilities before the PUC; recent rate cases have involved disputes over PFAS remediation cost recovery, infrastructure surcharge eligibility, and the appropriate rate base treatment of acquired municipal systems under Act 12 of 2016.

Key issues

• PFAS and emerging contaminant cost recovery: Pennsylvania American Water and other water utilities are pressing the PUC for tariff mechanisms to recover costs of PFAS treatment infrastructure required under EPA's April 2024 maximum contaminant level rules, creating a contested ratemaking question around prudency standards and cost causation.
• Natural gas distribution decarbonization and stranded asset risk: The PUC is grappling with long-term gas system planning obligations as the Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan and potential federal methane rules raise questions about whether LDC infrastructure investment can be prudently recovered over standard depreciation schedules, with intervenor groups urging the Commission to open a generic proceeding.
• Electric vehicle infrastructure cost allocation: Multiple IOU proceedings before the PUC involve contested EV charging make-ready programs and pilot tariffs, with ongoing disputes between utilities, the OCA, and industrial intervenors over whether ratepayer-funded EV infrastructure constitutes a cross-subsidy to EV adopters.
• Act 129 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan compliance: The PUC's fourth Phase of Act 129 EE&C obligations is driving contested proceedings over program cost-effectiveness methodologies, low-income program carve-outs, and the interaction between utility efficiency targets and PJM capacity market dynamics.
• Grid modernization and advanced metering infrastructure deployment: PPL and PECO are both in active or recently concluded PUC proceedings seeking cost recovery for AMI rollouts, with the Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement and OCA challenging benefit-cost analyses and proposing stricter opt-out provisions for residential customers.

Upcoming

• 2026-09-15

  Estimated deadline for initial comments in the PUC's generic proceeding on natural gas utility long-term infrastructure planning and decarbonization scenario disclosure requirements, anticipated to be formally opened in Q3 2026 following legislative pressure and PUC staff white paper circulation.

• 2026-10-01

  Estimated PUC final order deadline in Pennsylvania American Water's pending base rate case, which includes contested issues of PFAS remediation cost recovery, acquired system rate base treatment, and infrastructure surcharge reconciliation for the 2025 rate year.

• 2026-11-18

  Estimated ALJ initial decision due in PPL Electric Utilities' AMI deployment cost recovery and smart grid program surcharge proceeding, following evidentiary hearings held in summer 2026; final Commission order expected Q1 2027.

• 2027-01-12

  Estimated PUC deadline for electric distribution companies to file updated default service procurement plans for the 2027–2029 program period, triggering anticipated contested proceedings on procurement structure, renewable energy credit integration, and retail market competition policies.