Summary
On November 16, 2023, Massachusetts Electric Company and Nantucket Electric Company (“Company” or "National Grid") filed a base distribution rate case petition to adjust its rates. A regulated utility may recover reasonable and prudent, known and measurable costs incurred to provide safe and reliable service and have the opportunity to earn a fair and reasonable rate of return on prudently invested capital.
After receiving this petition, the Department reviews the proposal. The Department suspended National Grid's proposed distribution rates for 10 months until October 1, 2024. See the Department's suspension Order here.
The Department’s staff reviews written testimony and supporting detailed cost data, cross-examines witnesses in evidentiary hearings, and reviews public comments. These documents can be found here.
The Department then issues a Final Order on the petition prior to October 1, 2024.
The Department’s Final Order affects the public because it determines the distribution rates that utility customers pay. Public participation in a rate case is important because those comments become part of the record and are considered by the Department’s Commissioners to make a decision in the rate case. You may find more information on how to file comments with the Department here.
Overview - Bill Impacts
National Grid has filed a petition with the Department to increase its electric base distribution rates to generate $131,232,856 in additional base distribution revenues. The Company proposes additional transfers, which result in a proposed overall increase to distribution revenues of $131,622,621, which the Company states represents a 12.7 percent increase effective October 1, 2024. The bill impacts shown below were provided with the Company's initial filing and are illustrative bill impacts showing the potential changes in bills if the Company’s proposal was approved as filed.
The Company's proposed rate increase is in addition to changes to other rates, such as supply rates and reconciling mechanisms, that occur during the year, which may impact the actual costs customers experience. Also, the following bill impacts do not include potential rate changes resulting from the proposed transfer of meter-related capital costs to the AMI reconciling mechanism.
Bill Impacts in Microsoft Excel
Residential Bill Impacts (MECo)
MECo Residential: R-1 Rate
Residential Basic Service customer typical bill impact on R-1 Rate customers from D.P.U. 23-150 base distribution proposal (above).
MECo Residential Electrification: R-1 E Rate
Residential Electrification Basic Service customer typical bill impact on R-1 E rate customers from D.P.U. 23-150 base distribution proposal (above).
Residential Low Income Bill Impacts (MECo)
National Grid proposes to implement a multi-tiered low-income bill discount for the Rate R-2 customers. The proposed Low-Income Discount will take the form of a five-tiered discount rate structure for eligible low-income customers: The Company proposes the following tiers:
• 55 percent discount for households with incomes between 0 and 75 percent of FPL.
• 49 percent discount for households with incomes between 75 and 100 percent of FPL.
• 44 percent discount for households with incomes between 100 and 150 percent of FPL.
• 36 percent discount for households with incomes between 150 and 200 percent of FPL.
• 32 percent discount for households with incomes between 200 percent of FPL and 60 percent of SMI.
Commercial and Industrial Bill Impacts (MECo)
GENERAL SERVICE - SMALL COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL: G-1 Rate
GENERAL SERVICE - SMALL COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL Basic Service customer typical bill impacts on G-1 rate customers from D.P.U. 23-150 base distribution proposal (above).
GENERAL SERVICE - DEMAND: G-2 Rate
GENERAL SERVICE - Demand Basic Service customer typical bill impacts on G-2 rate customers from D.P.U. 23-150 base distribution proposal (above).
GENERAL SERVICE TIME-OF-USE: G-3 Rate
GENERAL SERVICE - TIME OF USE Basic Service customer typical bill impacts on G-3 rate customers from D.P.U. 23-150 base distribution proposal (above).
Outdoor Lighting Bill Impacts (MECo)
Events
Public Hearings
In-person public hearings at
- March 12, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
South Lawrence East Elementary School Auditorium
165 Crawford Street, Lawrence, MA 01843
(Spanish interpretation available)
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Shaw’s Center
1 Feinberg Way, Brockton, MA 02301
(Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole interpretation available)
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North Quincy High School
316 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02171
(Mandarin interpretation available)
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Worcester Technical High School, Auditorium
1 Officer Manny Familia Way, Worcester, MA 01605
(Spanish, Portuguese interpretation available)
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POSTPONED due to inclement weather (see virtual hearing below) April 4, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
PSF Community Room
4 Fairgrounds Road, Nantucket, MA 02554
(Spanish interpretation available)
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Monument Mountain Regional High School
600 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, MA 01230
(Spanish interpretation available)
- Virtual Public Hearings:
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March 21, 2024 – two virtual Zoom hearings
The first session will begin at 2:00 p.m., and the second session will begin at 7:00 p.m.
(Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Mandarin, and Khmer interpretation available)
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Attendees can join the session by entering the link, https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86918048614, from a computer, smartphone, or tablet. No prior software download is required. For audio‑only access to the public hearing, attendees can dial in at +1 309 205 3325 (not toll free) and then enter the Webinar ID: 869 1804 8614. Interpretation services (Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Mandarin, and Khmer) will be available over the Zoom platform by clicking the “Interpretation” button on the menu at the bottom of the Zoom application screen and selecting your language (i.e., English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Mandarin, and Khmer).
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On December 15, 2023, the Department issued a Notice of Filing and Public Hearings and scheduled six in-person public hearings across Massachusetts and two public hearings over Zoom. One of the in-person public hearings was scheduled for April 4, 2024, in PSF Community Room, 4 Fairgrounds Road, Nantucket, MA 02554. That hearing was postponed due to inclement weather.
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For purposes of rescheduling the Nantucket hearing, the Department will conduct a virtual public hearing using Zoom videoconferencing on May 2, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. Attendees can join the session by entering the link, https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84929948888 from a computer, smartphone, or tablet. No prior software download is required. For audio-only access to the public hearing, attendees can dial in at +1 646 931 3860 (not toll free) and then enter the Webinar ID: 849 2994 8888. Interpretation services in Spanish will be available over the Zoom platform by clicking the “Interpretation” button on the menu at the bottom of the Zoom application screen and selecting your language (i.e., English or Spanish).
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Virtual Evidentiary Hearings
- Beginning May 6, 2024 and throughout the month of May. See schedule below. The hearings will be virtual and will begin at 10:00 a.m. each day.
- Public Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84028926108 (note this is a recurring link that can be used to view any of the hearings).
D.P.U. 23-150 – National Grid Electric Rate Case – Evidentiary Hearing Schedule