After outside groups called for West Virginia American Water's request for a multimillion-dollar surcharge to be postponed, the Public Service Commission has set hearing dates for the utility case in November.
The three-member commission filed an order Monday setting the regulatory hearings to begin Nov. 2. The commissioners say that date will allow the case to be processed in a timely manner and likely fulfill the other parties' request to delay the case until the federal state of emergency that was called after severe flooding in June is lifted.
Last week, American Water's attorneys filed a motion calling the request for a postponement of the case "opportunistic, if not, insincere."
The water utility's lawyers also pointed out that there has been discussion of approving an infrastructure surcharge for the company since last year, when the PSC staff recommended it but later revoked that suggestion, when lawyers for the staff realized it would open up the company's rate case to legal challenges.
In the PSC's order, the commissioners make it clear that they intend to rule on the matter soon.
"The company has in several of its filings indicated its desire for a commission decision by late December," the commissioners said. "... the Commission still intends to process this case in a timely manner."