Industry News

For Release:
June 28, 2002

Contact:
Virginia State Corporation Commission
http://www.state.va.us/scc/news/colretail.htm
Andy Farmer
(804) 371-9141

SCC Approves Plan by Columbia Gas of Virginia to Extend Retail Choice to All of its Customers

RICHMOND - The State Corporation Commission (SCC) has authorized Columbia Gas of Virginia to provide natural gas retail supply choice to all of its customers in Virginia. Columbia Gas is expected to implement its choice plan over the next several weeks.

Columbia Gas will give approximately 200,000 retail sales customers the opportunity to choose their supplier of natural gas. The delivery of natural gas will remain the responsibility of Columbia Gas in its service area. The company serves customers in central Virginia, portions of the Shenandoah Valley, portions of northern Virginia and part of the Hampton Roads region, including Suffolk and Portsmouth

A retail choice pilot program for Columbia Gas customers has been in place in select areas of northern Virginia since October 1997. The company currently has 7,579 customers enrolled in the program. Systemwide retail choice for natural gas customers has been lawful throughout the state since July 1, 2000.

Columbia Gas will recover costs associated with the provision of retail gas supply by establishing a new monthly charge called a "Transition Costs Recovery Charge." The costs are related to contracts for maintaining pipeline and storage capacity as well as transition costs for changing Columbia Gas facilities to permit retail choice.

For additional information about the state's progress toward developing a competitive energy supply market, consumers are encouraged to visit the Virginia Energy Choice website at www.yesvachoice.com. The SCC also offers a toll-free information line for Energy Choice: 1-877-YES-2004.

Case Number PUE-2001-00587

More information:
Our Customer Choice Program
Virginia Energy Choice: http://www.yesvachoice.com
Virginia SCC: http://www.state.va.us/scc/