The Public Utility Commission Thursday approved the petitions of Duquesne Light Co., to accelerate the repair, improvement and replacement of aging electrical infrastructure and to implement distribution system improvement charges (DSICs).

The Commission voted 5-0 to approve a joint settlement approving Duquesne Light’s petitions, which were filed pursuant to Act 11 of 2012 (Act 11).

The settlement was reached among the company, the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement, and the state’s Office of Consumer Advocate. 

Act 11 requires and provides for utilities to file Long-Term Infrastructure Improvement Plans as part of any action to establish a DSIC to recover reasonable and prudent costs incurred to repair, improve or replace certain eligible distribution property that is part of a utility’s distribution system

The Commission-approved LTIIP for Duquesne includes an anticipated spending increase of approximately $212 million from 2017 through 2022 for infrastructure investments. 

Duquesne’s LTIIP is a six-year plan providing accelerated infrastructure improvements in order to enhance system resiliency and reliability on aging infrastructure.  Duquesne provides electric service to 588,000 customers in Allegheny and Beaver counties.

For more information on the program, visit the PUC’s Distribution System Improvement Charge webpage.

[Posted: April 20, 2017]

4/24/2017