Local residents are being asked to contact legislators to help halt a more than triple increase in natural gas prices.
Brewton’s current natural gas supplier, Gulf South Pipeline Company, has proposed a rate increase for Brewton Utilities that would increase the rate from 68 cent-per-million cubic foot – a price that has been stead for some 20 years – to $2.27 per million cubic foot, said utilities director Ray Madden.
“I understand the need to raise rates as the market dictates, but to do this all at once is devastating to consumers,” Madden said.
Currently, Brewton serves some 2,000 customers in the region in industrial and residential markets using the company that boasts a “web-like” interstate natural gas pipeline that gathers gas from the prolific basins between Texas and Alabama and delivers that gas to on-system markets and to off-system markets in the Northeast and Southeast.
Gulf South is a wholly-owned, operating subsidiary of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP.
The company’s proposal for the increase was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission after it was filed on Oct. 28, Madden said. The city has filed an appeal to block the increase or at least implement the increase over time.
City officials encouraged area residents to contact congressmen to express support for reconsideration of the increase.
To contact Sen. Jeff Sessions, call 251.414.3083 or email his office at sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff.
To contact, Sen. Richard Shelby, call 251.694.4164 or email his office at shelby.senate.gov/public/ index.cfm/emailsenatorshelby.
To contact U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, call 251.972.8545 or email his office at byrne.house.gov/contact/email-me.