Permanent Waiver Granted for Rochester Gas and Electric Corp.

Strategic Insights -

The New York State Public Service Commission has granted a permanent waiver of a tariff provision to Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. for providing gas service to Fairlife LLC in Chicago, Illinois. The waiver allows the company to operate without the requirement for dual-fuel equipment, a mandate that was previously necessitated by air quality permit issues and a significant capital investment of approximately $3 million. The Commission's order notes that the waiver will not compromise safety or service reliability, as Fairlife has stated it can safely shut down its gas-fired operations within two hours if an interruption is necessary.

Key Takeaways:

  • The New York State Public Service Commission granted a permanent waiver of a tariff provision to Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. for providing gas service to Fairlife LLC in Chicago, Illinois.
  • The waiver allows the company to operate without the requirement for dual-fuel equipment, a mandate that was previously necessitated by air quality permit issues and a significant capital investment of approximately $3 million.
  • The Commission's order notes that the waiver will not compromise safety or service reliability, as Fairlife has stated it can safely shut down its gas-fired operations within two hours if an interruption is necessary.
  • The waiver was granted after a revised petition was submitted by RG&E on March 24, 2025, requesting a permanent waiver.
  • The tariff provision is meant to support system reliability by allowing for demand reduction if needed.
  • The waiver will allow the company to serve Fairlife without delays or extra costs for the customer, and without a negative impact on existing customers or system reliability.
  • The Commission's order was issued on August 18, 2025, (Case No. 25-G-0048).

Statistics:

  • The waiver was granted for a company with annual loads of 100,000 dekatherms or greater.
  • The capital investment required for dual-fuel equipment was approximated to be $3 million.
  • The processing time for the temporary waiver petition was 6 months (January 20, 2025 - July 18, 2025).
  • The processing time for the permanent waiver petition was 3 months (March 24, 2025 - June 18, 2025).

Sources:

  • "Order Granting Permanent Waiver of Tariff Provision" (Case No. 25-G-0048), issued on August 18, 2025, by the New York State Public Service Commission.
  • Original text: https://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/Common/ViewDoc.aspx?DocRefId={10E1BD98-0000-C477-AD5F-FEDFAB944B60}