PITTSBURGH — Duquesne Light Company (DLC) announced they are investing in the future to continue providing safe, reliable and resilient service to more than 600,000 customers in Allegheny and Beaver counties while also enabling the region’s clean energy transition. In a filing submitted today to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), the company requested a regulatory review of its distribution base rates to support essential investments required to modernize the electrical grid and secure the vibrancy, prosperity and competitiveness of the region that DLC serves.

 

DLC is requesting an overall rate increase of $101 million to enhance grid capabilities and reliability. As increased severe weather has created a greater need for resiliency, DLC’s proposal aims to strengthen the grid with more durable equipment and advanced technologies. The proposed rate changes would take effect on or before Jan. 1, 2025, and would be the first increases in DLC’s distribution base rates in three years. DLC is also seeking to transfer $32 million in surcharges, currently paid by customers for equipment upgrades, to base rates.

 

“Our customers have greater expectations of the grid than ever before. Continuing to provide safe, reliable and resilient electric service in the face of changing climate dynamics is a critical responsibility that we take very seriously,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of DLC. “Beyond these basics, we must also invest to ensure that the grid is nimble, intelligent and responsive enough to support the evolving expectations placed upon it as we progress through our region’s clean energy transition. Doing this well will give our customers, friends and neighbors a competitive advantage and contribute to a bright, equitable future for all.”

 

Some investments included in DLC’s proposal are:

• Constructing a new substation in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood that will provide additional capacity, increased reliability, resiliency gains and electrical flexibility in how DLC serves the community.
• Enhancing DLC’s outage management system by adding customer-facing tools such as a new outage map, proactive notifications and an upgraded automated phone system.
• Continuing the installation of modern streetlights that have advanced capabilities, including providing notifications that enable more efficient maintenance and repair.
• Supporting DLC’s comprehensive vegetation management program, which aims to prevent service interruptions by keeping vegetation away from electrical circuits and removing trees that are at risk of falling onto distribution lines.
• Helping customers make informed decisions about electric vehicles and empowering them to experience the benefits of electric mobility through increased charging infrastructure as well as new incentives and rate structures.

 

If the PUC approves the current requested rates:

• Residential customers using 600 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month could see their bill increase from $130.67 to $139.19 per month, or 6.52%.
• Commercial customers using 10,000 kWh per month could expect to see an increase from $1,207.43 to $1,283.46 per month, or 6.30%.
• Industrial customers using 200,000 kWh per month could see an increase from $19,421.64 to $20,610.56 per month, or 6.12%.