| Washington, D.C. — The Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC) today raised serious concerns about the March 4th Public Service Commission order approving accelerated spending for Washington Gas Light Company’s pipeline replacement program despite unresolved questions about transparency, adequate cost controls, and consistency with the District’s climate goals.
“This order raises fundamental questions about regulatory accountability,” said People’s Counsel Sandra Mattavous-Frye. “Approving spending first and requiring justification later turns the regulatory process on its head. District residents should not be asked to finance billions of dollars in infrastructure investments before the Commission has fully examined whether those investments are necessary, prudent, and in the public interest.”
OPC is particularly concerned that the order fails to clearly establish the cost-control mechanisms necessary for a program of this magnitude. Allowing large-scale infrastructure spending to proceed without well-defined oversight measures risks exposing District ratepayers to excessive and unnecessary costs.
The order also permits Washington Gas to rely on a risk-prioritization methodology that is designed to prioritize investor risk rather than public health, safety, and environmental impacts.
A pipeline replacement program that truly serves the public interest must prioritize measurable safety and environmental factors—including leak rates, pipe condition, proximity to homes and buildings, pollutant exposure, and greenhouse-gas emissions.
Equally troubling, the order provides no estimate of the greenhouse-gas emissions reductions expected from the program. Without this information, policymakers and the public cannot determine whether the program meaningfully advances the District’s legally established climate commitments. This concern is heightened by the fact that several members of the Council of the District of Columbia previously warned the Commission that Washington Gas’ pipeline replacement program may not be consistent with the District’s climate goals.
“Major infrastructure investments must be grounded in transparency, rigorous oversight, and a clear demonstration that they serve the public interest,” Mattavous-Frye added. “District residents deserve confidence that regulatory decisions affecting billions of dollars in spending are based on a complete record, sound analysis, and full accountability.”
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