Council Delays PGW Sale Review

KYW Newsradio reports that City Council’s review of the proposed sale of Philadelphia Gas Works will be delayed several weeks: It was initially expected to take place in early October.

The office of Council President Darrell Clarke had originally blocked out late September and early October for committee hearings on the mayor’s plan to sell PGW. But Clarke says that has now slipped a few weeks as the reports prepared by City Council’s consultant are finalized:

“We’re coming to a conclusion on the report(s) and the review by members of Council. I anticipate probably mid-October there will be a public statement/document or process outlined by the City Council of Philadelphia. We want to conclude our process internally as it relates to briefings and review, and then we will move forward.”

Under Nutter’s proposal, PGW would be sold to the privately held UIL Holdings of Cennecticut for nearly $2 billion — with proceeds going to get the city’s underfunded pension system for public employees. Opponents include the unions representing PGW’s workers. Approval is needed from both the council and the state Public Utilities Commission to seal the deal.