Utilities Board changes rule to help small natural gas dealers

This is the first year of new rules that the Iowa Utilities Board hopes eventually lead to more competitive prices for natural gas. Board spokesman Rob Hillesland says the rules were changed to allow small-volume natural gas retailers to share transportation costs.He says by pooling smaller amounts of gas, they can hopefully offer more competitive prices that compete against large-scale gas providers. Hillesland says pooling should help cut the overhead of small-scale gas providers.Hillesland says it’s going to take some time before Iowans start seeing the advantages of the new rules. And he says the advantages will be limited to the areas of the state where the pools develop.Hillesland says some school districts have set up pools with providers, and they expect more applications with time.