Atlanta Gas Light Co. on June 3 filed a request with the Georgia Public Service Commission to allow it to raise its annual gas base rate by $96 million, based on a proposed return on equity of 10.75%.

The Southern Co. Gas utility subsidiary proposed an effective date of Jan. 1, 2020, for the rate increase, according to a June 3 SEC filing.

Atlanta Gas Light also asked permission to continue a previously approved earnings band based on a return on equity of between 10.55% and 10.95%; an authorized equity ratio of 55%; and to include recovery of and return on infrastructure investments previously cleared by the commission in the utility's base rates.

The filing also includes a request to continue Atlanta Gas Light's annual rate adjustment mechanism into 2020 and succeeding years. The commission is expected to issue a final order Dec. 19, Atlanta Gas Light said in the filing.

Atlanta Gas Light, whose parent is a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Co., serves more than 1.6 million gas distribution customers in Georgia.