Authorizing City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold public hearings to investigate the proposed gas cost rate increase to be effective September 1, 2004, requested by the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) with the Public Utility Commission, and in furtherance of such investigation authorizing the issuance of subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.

WHEREAS, PGW has requested an overall rate increase of approximately $314.1 million per year increasing the total bill for a typical General Service Residential Customer using 100 thousand cubic feet of gas per year by 4.1 percent from $120 to $125 per month; and

WHEREAS, Bills for Commercial Heating, Industrial Heating, Municipal Service Heating and Philadelphia Housing Authority Heating would increase from between 4.3 and 4.9 percent; and

WHEREAS, The increase in gas rates adds to the already difficult burden of those who reside in or conduct business in the City of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, In the meantime, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer article dated February 10, 2004, South Jersey Gas has announced a cut in gas rates; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That

City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities is hereby authorized to hold public hearings to investigate the gas cost rate increase to be effective September 1, 2004, by PGW with the Public Utility Commission, and in furtherance of such investigation the Committee is authorized to issue subpoenas as the chairperson deems necessary or appropriate to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.

End