The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority will host hearings starting this week on the proposed expansion plans for the state’s natural gas infrastructure.

The plan was filed with PURA by Yankee Gas Services Co., the Connecticut Natural Gas Corp. and the Southern Connecticut Gas Co. in June and is part of the 2013 Comprehensive Energy Strategy for Connecticut, which was implemented in Public Act 13-298.

The companies are requesting that PURA approve their plan to add approximately 280,000 new natural gas customers in Connecticut over the next 10 years. It will lead to rate increases of up to 3 percent per year on the delivery piece of existing ratepayers’ bills, plus existing ratepayers will be subject to an indeterminate system expansion rate annual true-up and other added costs, PURA said in a news release. The state Office of Consumer Counsel is reviewing details of the proposal and will advocate for a sensible, cost-effective implementation of the plan that minimizes ratepayer impacts, PURA said.

The hearings will take place at 10 Franklin Square, New Britain, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday; 10:30 a.m. Wednesday; 9:30 a.m. Thursday; 10:30 a.m. Sept. 16; 9:30 a.m. Sept. 17; and 10:30 a.m. Sept. 18.