Niles company supplying natural gas to Southington ordered to cease operations

Staff report

COLUMBUS

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has fined One Source Energy of Niles, which supplies natural gas to about 118 residential customers in Southington, and ordered it to cease operations Sept. 6.

The commission found One Source lacks the managerial, technical and financial resources necessary to safely operate a natural-gas utility, the PUCO said in a news release.

The commission issued a $25,000 fine to One Source for its failure to comply with a previous commission order to cease enrolling new customers. One Source also failed to acknowledge or correct alleged violations resulting from two PUCO safety inspections and failed to appear at PUCO hearings, the PUCO says.

A call to One Source from The Vindicator was not returned Thursday or Friday.

Matt Schilling, PUCO spokesman, said One Source started providing natural gas to customers in 2016 without even notifying the PUCO, which learned of the operation because of a billing complaint by a customer.

After that, One Source filed an application with the PUCO, but it was incomplete. The company failed to carry out other requirements and was ordered to stop enrolling new customers but ignored that request also, Schilling said. If One Source continues to ignore PUCO requirements, the PUCO will ask the company that supplies gas to One Source to cut off the gas. The PUCO is also asking the Ohio Attorney General’s office to take legal action against One Source.