Livingston set to receive some $88,000 following a successful intervention in a natural gas rate case involving the East Tennessee Natural Gas pipeline.
Symmetry Energy representative Alan Lingerfelt said the providing pipeline company originally proposed a rate increase of more than 65 percent that went into effect in November 2025. Lingerfelt said Symmetry and other entities intervened in the case to help secure a 25 percent reduction from those proposed rates.
“That over-collection back in November through March is going to be reimbursed back to the City of Livingston,” Lingerfelt said, “Probably sometime fourth quarter I’m expecting it, November, December. So that’ll give you some planning time to see how you want to work that into your structure.”
Lingerfelt said the pipeline was charging $1.77 over the winter before the rate was reduced by 45 cents to approximately $1.32. He said the $88,000 figure is an estimate based on the 197,000 dekatherms of natural gas the city purchased between November and March.
Lingerfelt said the market appears stable for the coming months despite global volatility. He said while the war in the Middle East has caused some spikes in liquid natural gas prices, domestic gas prices currently remain in the $3 range compared to nearly $10 following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“The market is kind of saying we don’t expect things to get out of balance for several months,” Lingerfelt said. “So hopefully we can see a good light at the end of the tunnel.”
Lingerfelt said weather patterns for the upcoming winter are trending toward a “super El Niño” similar to 2014. He said such a pattern typically results in a warmer winter, which could lead to lower gas prices due to decreased demand.
“I always like bringing good news, I hate bringing bad news,” Lingerfelt said. “But but that that is a good outlook setting here in August in hot weather.”
Lingerfelt said he expects the pipeline company to file its next rate case in five years.
