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SALT LAKE CITY — A bill passed by lawmakers Thursday night is creating a stir among business owners of natural gas fueling stations. The owners said the bill gives an unfair advantage to their competition.
The bill, Sb 275, would allow Questar to use homeowner's gas bills to help pay for their company's new gas stations. A Questar spokesperson said that the company has been able to use $.03 from each customer's gas bill previously to offset costs at the natural gas filling stations already built.
However, that subsidy would no longer be in effect in June so the new legislative bill would allow Questar to collect $.10 from each customer's bill to help finance new filling stations being built.
Kim Hugie is one of the business owners complaining about the unfair advantage given to Questar by the legislature. Hugie has three gas stations in Utah, but he said that it will be hard to compete when taxpayers are funding the building of Questar gas stations.
The Questar spokesperson said the company would only ask to raise rates to help with building new gas stations once a need arises for additional gas stations.
