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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210317English Direct.pdfBEFORE THE ,i,;;:[i1,'F.* jr.:t iijiii lJ PH t+; 5? IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES GOMMISSION : si.,ia,l-;il '=.. , .i..-,i i:J':,"iri .#'.b1l.hi{ IN THE MATTER OF SUEZ WATER IDAHO INC.'S APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES AND GHARGES FOR WATER SERVICE IN IDAHO ) ) ) ) ) ) GASE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 DIRECT TESTIMONY OF DONN ENGLISH IN SUPPORT OF THE STIPULATION AND SETTLEMENT IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION MARCH 17,2021 O. P1ease state your name and business address? A. My name is Donn English. My business address is 11331 W. Chinden B1vd., BLDG 8, STE 2O]--A, Boise, Idaho 837]-4. O. By whom are you employed and in what capacity? A. I am employed by the Idaho Public Utilities Commj-ssion as a Program Manager overseeing t,he Accounting and Audit Department in the Utilities Division. I am also the program Manager overseeing the Technical Analysis Department, also within the Util,ities Division- O. Please describe your educational background and professional experience . A. My educational background and professional experiences are shown in Exhibit No. l-01. a. What. is the purpose of your testimony in this proceeding? A. The purpose of my testimony is to describe the Application of SUEZ Water Idaho, Inc. ("SUEZ Water" or "Company" ) to increase its rates and charges for water service in Idaho, d.escrj-be the proposed comprehensive Stipulation and Settlement ("Sett.Iement" ) reached by t,he parties in this case, and explain staff's support for the proposed Settlement.. O. How is your testimonY organized? A. My tesLimony is subdivided under the following cAsE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/17/21, (stip1 l"ENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 L0 11 1,2 13 L4 15 15 l7 l-8 t9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 headj-ngs: Background Page 2 Staff Investigation Page 3 Set.tlement Evaluation Page 5 Settlement Overview Page 6 Background O. Please describe SUEZ Water's original filing. A. SUEZ Water made its original filing with the Idaho Pubf ic Utilities Commj-ssion on Sept.ember 30 , 2020, requesting authority to j-ncrease its revenues by $10.16 miltion, or 22.3*, effective on or after October 31, 2020. The requested increase was based on a test year ending ,June 30, 2020, with proforma adjustments through March 3l-, 202]-. Rate base was j-ncluded through March 31, 202L, using the 13-month average method. The Company proposed using its current capital sEructure of 54.072 equit.y and 45.93? debt, and a return on common equity ("RoE") of 1,0.22. The Company proposed a uniform increase t.o all customer classes. a. How was the case processed after the Company's filing was received? A. The Commission issued a combined Notice of Appllcation and Notice of Intervention Deadline ("NoEice") on OcLober 2!, 2020. The Notice suspended the proposed effective date for thirty days and five months and cAsE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/17/21, (stip) 2ENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 l-0 1l- t2 t_3 l4 15 t6 1"7 18 t9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 established an Intervent,ion Deadline of November 11 , 2020. Intervenor status was subsequently granted to Ada County, Boise City, SUEZ Water Customer Group ("SWCG"), Community Action Partnership Association of Idaho ("CAPAI"), Micron Technology, Inc. ("Micron"), Intermountain Fair Housing Council, Inc. ("IFHC"), and four individual residents of the Boise Bench collectively referred to as the Individual Intervenors. The parties participat.ed j-n four settlement conferences, and on March 12, 202L, all parties either agreed to the proposed settlement term sheet or stated their intent to withdraw as a party from the case. On March 16, 202L, the Individ.ual Intervenors filed a Motion to Wit.hdraw from the proceeding, and on March 17, 2021, IFHC expressed their intent to also file to withdraw. A Joint Motion to Approve the Settlement was filed with the Commission on March 17, 202l-. The Set.tlement was signed by all remaining part j-es. Staff Investsigation O. What type of investigation did Staff conduct to evaluate the Company's rate increase request? A. Staff's approach in any general rate case is to extensively review the Company's Applicatj-on and associated testj-mony and workpapers, identify adjustments to its revenue requirement, and prepare to file testimony for a fu11y-1it.igat.ed proceeding. There were 1-4 staff members 10 l_1 L2 13 L4 15 t-6 t7 18 t9 20 21- 22 23 24 cAsE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/1-7/21, ENGLISH, D STAFF 25 (stip) 3 analyzing this case consisti-ng of auditors, engineers, utility analysts, and consumer investigators, along with supervisors. Staff auditors reviewed t.he Company's test year results of operations, capital budgeLs, capital spending trends, operations and maintenance ("O&M") expenses and Lrends, and verified all of the Company's calculations and assumptions with regard to the overall revenue requirement. Because of the public health emergency due to the COVID-1-9 virus, Staff members were not able to conduct onsite audits or reviews of the Company's books and records and they did not have extensive interviews with Company personnel. However, the auditors reviewed thousands of transactions, selected samples, and performed transaction testing in accordance with standard audit practices. Staff reviewed the Company's l-abor expense, incentive p1ans, and employee benefits to ensure the appropriate leve1 of expenditures are included in rates. Staff reviewed both completed and proposed Company investments to determine the prudence of capital additions. Expendj-t.ures j-ncluding pension expense, salaries, and O&M expenses were also examined. Additionally, Staff investigated the Company's cost of capital, capital structure, cosL of service, and revenue normalization. In totaI, Staff submitted over 155 cAsE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/17/2L (stip1 4ENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 I 9 1o 11 t2 13 l4 15 1,6 t7 l-8 1_9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 l_ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 production requests and held several virtual meetings with Company personnel as a part of its comprehensj-ve J-nvestigation. Entering int,o the settlement negotiations, Staff had a list of potential revenue requirement adjustments to present to the parties. Return on Equity ("ROE") is always a major issue in general rate cases. Calculatj-ons of ROE ranged f rom 8 .75e" t.o the Company proposed 10.2? but the parties did not. reach a specj-fic agreement on t,he appropriate ROE or capital sLructure. Based on the success of its investigation, Staff and the parties were able to negotiate a rate increase t.otaling 8.752 over two years as opposed to the one-time 22.3* requested by the Company. Settlement Evaluation O. How did Staff determj-ne that the overall Settl-ement was reasonable? A. In every settlement evaluation, Staff and other parties must examine the risks of losing positions at hearing and determine if the agreement is a bet,ter overall ouLcome. Staff must evaluate each individual adjustment. and det.ermine t.he likelihood of t.he Commj-ssj-on accepting or reject,ing Staff's rationale for the adjustment. Ult.imately, Staff's intent in every settlement conference is to negotiate the best possible outcome for customers. O. Does Staff support the Settlement as reasonable? 10 l-1 1-2 l-3 L4 t_5 16 L7 18 t_9 20 2t 22 23 24 CASE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/L7 /2t ENGLISH, D STAFF 25 (stipl s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 I 9 10 1l- L2 13 L4 15 15 t7 18 1,9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 A. Yes. After a comprehensive review of the Company's Application, thorough audit of the Company's books and records, and ext,ensive negotiations with the parties to the case, Staff supports the proposed Set.tlement. The Set.t.lement. of f ers a reasonable balance between the Company's opport.unity to earn a reasonable return on its investment and affordable rates for customers. The Settlement addresses several of Staff's primary goals in this proceeding, including a revenue requirement increase that is more palatable to customers, adjusting amortization periods to better reflect time periods between rate cases, and the commitment by SUEZ Water to perform a load study to assist in allocat.ing costs to different cusLomer classes. Staff believes the Settlement, supported by all remaining parties to the case, is in t.he public j-nterest; fair, just, and reasonable; and should be approved by the Commission. Settlement Overview O. Would you please describe the terms of the Settlement? A. The proposed Settlement adopts a phase in of t,he negot,iated revenue increase. fnstead of the Company's proposed 22.32 increase, customers will see an increase of 3.55? on May 1, 2021-, representing a revenue increase of $1.62 million for the Company. On May 1, 2022, rates will cAsE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/t7/2L ENGLISH, D STAFF (stip1 6 increase by another $2.38 mi11ion, or 5.22. The overall increase for the Company, phased in over two years, is $3.996 mil]ion, or 8.752. The Settlement does not det.ail all of the different. components of t.he revenue requirement calculat,j-on. However, the Settlement specJ-ficalIy provides a framework for the treatment of amortization expenses, depreciation expense, pension expense, and the return of the remaining benefits from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. ("TCJA") to customers. Additionally, the Settlement outlines how the parties believe intervenor funding, if granted by the Commission, should be recovered by the Company. O. Please explain how t.he Settlement t.reats amortization expenses . A. In its ApplJ-cation, the Company requested to amortize t.he balance of its deferred pension costs, deferred power costs, rate case expenses, and deferred convenience fees over a three-year perJ-od. To mitigate the impact of the rate increase to customers, the parties agreed to a four-year amortization period. The Settlement also specifies that any remaining balances associated with deferred pension costs and power costs, either positive or negative, will be incorporated into the amortization expense in the Company's next general raLe case. This cAsE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/t7/21 (stip1 7ENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 l4 15 16 1,7 t_8 1,9 20 2L 22 23 24 25 treatment ensures that customers will PaY, and the Company wil-l recover, [o more and no less than the actual pension contributions and power costs incurred by t,he Company. Consistent with Order Nos. 29838 and 32443, the Company will be authorized to accrue a carrying charge on the balances at the Commission-authorized customer deposit rate. Regulatory assets associated wlth deferred tank painting costs will be amortized over twenty years as previously approved by the Commission and as requested in the Company's Application. Additionally, the amortizatj-on of the Allowance for Funds Used During ConsLruction ("AFUDC") equity will continue with the 35-year amortization period approved in Order No. 33436 in the Company's Last general raLe case. O. Please describe the tax benefits associated with the TC,JA. A. On January 11, 20L8, the Commission opened Case No. GNR-U-18-01 to investigate the impact of the TCJA on utility cosLs and ratemaking. The Commission reduced t.he raLes SVEZ Water charges customers j-n Idaho to reflect the reduced income tax expense at the new 2l-? corporate tax rate. However, the TC,JA required companies to revalue their deferred tax amounts at the new corporate tax rates (2]-*) which resulted in excess deferred federal- income tax CASE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/L7/21 (stip) IENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 l_0 1t_ 1,2 13 L4 15 16 L7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 reserve balances. Balances associated with regulated utiliLy operations resulted in a balance sheet reclassification from deferred tax to a deferred regulatory asset or liability. This revaluation effected both planL (priotected or permanent tax benefit) and non-pIant (unprotected or temporary tax benefit) balances. For plant-related excess Accumulated Deferred Federal Income Taxes ("ADFIT"), the Company must amortj-ze the balance under the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") Average Rate Assumption Method ("ARAM"). To comply with the IRS normalizat.ion rules, the Company must return the plant-related ADFIT to customers over the remaining life of the associated assets. The ARAM serves as a proxy for the composite remaining life of the assets. The associated amortizaLion of the pIant.-related ADFIT provides customers approximately $227,000 per year. The temporary (one-time) tax benefit.s associated with non-pIant ADFIT balances can be returned to customers in any manner approved by t.he Commission. The parties in this case agree to return the entirety of the approximately $16 million unprotected ADFIT to customers over one year, beginning on May 1, 2021. After the one-year period, all benefits associated with non-p1ant ADFIT will have been returned to customers and rates will increase on May 1 , 2022. CASE NO. SUZ-W-20_02 03/17/21, (stip1 eENGLISH, D STAFF l- 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1,2 13 t4 15 15 L7 l_8 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 The l-ast component of t.he TCJA is the regulatory liability associated with t.he reduced t.ax rates from ,Tanuary 1, 201-8 through May 31, 201-8, prior to the rate relief offered by the Commission on 'June L, 2018 to account for the reduction in the corporate tax rate. The parties in this case agree that $772,504 represents the correct calculation of the regulatory liability and customers will receive this benefit over one year, similar to t.he treatment of the non-P1ant ADFIT. On May 1, 2022, customer rates will increase by $2.38 mi11ion, or 5.202 to reflect. the depletion of these tax benefits. O. Why does St.aff support returning the benefits of the non-p1ant. ADFIT and regulatory liabilit.y associated with the reduced tax rate from ,fanuary 1, 201-8 through May 31, 2018 to customers in one year. A. The Commisslon has discretion on the timing and method to return these benefits to customers. The parties agree that returning these benefit,s to customers in one year is a practical approach to mitigate any rate increase granted during a time that. many customers may still be recovering from diminished employment opportunitj-es and other financial difficulties. This approach essentially creates a two-year phase in of the stipulated revenue requirement. increase. CASE NO. SUZ-W-20-0203/17/2t (stip) 1oENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ll_ L2 l_3 L4 15 t6 t7 18 19 20 2L 22 23 24 25 O. How does the Settlement address other revenue requirement issues? A. The Sett.lement specifically addresses the recovery of the Company's contributions to its pension plan and updates the Company's depreciat.ion rates. A. Please discuss the recovery of the Company's pension contributions . A. Consistent. wit.h seLLlements approved by the Commission in Order Nos. 32443 and 33435 (Case Nos. UWf-W-1,1-A2 and UWI-W-15-01, respectively), a base level of pension expense recovery is established. The Company will be authorized to record a deferred asset or l-iability for the difference between t,he actual cash contri-butions in each year and the base 1eveI included in rates. In this Set.tlement, the parties agree that $1,31-2,595 is the appropriate base 1evel for pension recovery. O. Please dj-scuss the Company's depreciation expense and how it is reflected in the Settlement. A. Prior to the filing of its Application, the Company hired Alliance Consulting Group to conduct a depreciation study of the Company's depreciable assets as of December 31, 201-9. This was t.he Company's first comprehensive depreciation study and it est.ablished the proposed depreciation rates included in t,he testimony and exhibits sponsored by witness Dane A. Watson on behalf of cAsE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/1-7/21 (SLip)11ENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1,2 l_3 1"4 15 t6 t7 18 t9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 the Company. The depreciation rates agreed to in the Settlement are included in Exhibit C of the Settlement and reflect updates proposed by Staff. These updated depreciation rates reduce the Company's proposed depreciation expense and revenue requirement. O. How does the SettlemenE propose the Company recover j-ntervenor funding if granted by the Commission? A. The revenue requi-rement agreed to in the Settlement does not. include an amount to recover intervenor funding. As allowed by st.atute and by Commission's procedural rules, parties may request and t.he Commiss j-on may award intervenor funding to be paid by the Company. If the Commission awards intervenor funding in this case, the parties agree that. the Company should be allowed to recover t.he intervenor funding as an incremental addition to the first-year revenue requirement. The second-year revenue requirement witl decrease by the amount of j-ntervenor funding awarded by the Commission, so the Company will not continue to recover intervenor funding after April 30, 2022. O. Are t.here any other provisions in the Settlement that you would like to address? A. Yes. The Set.tlement requires the Company to complete a load study to provide max-day and max-hour factors for each customer class and the water system as a CASE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/r7/21 (stip) l-2ENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 t2 13 1"4 15 1,6 1,7 l_8 1,9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 whole. The Company will convene a discussion process with interested parties to receive input. on the different study components. The study will be filed in the Company's next general rate case and will al1ow parties to det,ermine the appropriat.e 1evel of cosLs to be assigned or allocated to the different customer classes. The Company will also broaden its public outreach efforts and host annual workshops for al-I interested parties. Commission Staff, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and the Idaho Department of Wat,er Resources will participate in t.he discussion on a range of topics relat.ed to water conservation and resource planning. Additionally, Lhe Company has agreed to meet with representatives of CAPAI to examine the current status of SUEZ Water's Iow-income assistance program, the ]evel of participation and effectj-veness of the program, and to identify and consider opportunities to improve the program for Iow-income customers. O. Do you have any other comments on the Settlement? A. Yes. Staff has exami-ned Exhibits A - C and verified threy are consistent with the Settlement and reasonably recover the proposed revenue requirement. As implied in this testimony, t.he Settlement represents a fair, just, and reasonable compromise of the positions put forth by a1t parties and is in the public interest. CASE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/t7/21 (stip) L3ENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 I 9 L0 11 1,2 t_3 t4 15 16 t7 18 1,9 20 2t 22 23 24 25 Therefore, Staff recommends the Commission approve the Set.tl-ement without. material changes or modif ications. a. Please explain concerns you are aware of related to water quaIit.y. A. Customers in the Boise Bench area continue to have complaj-nts about. waLer quality. Staff has investigated complaints and attended town haI1 style meetings held by SUEZ Water with customers. Although SVEZ Water has made some improvements, customer concerns sti11 exist. Staff will continue to investigate these concerns. Staff will also monitor and track the Company's ongoing plans to replace pipe, flush lines, and make improvements to the Taggart well as approved by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Staff witl also evaluate delayed or accelerated timelines for improvements and provide additional customer communications. a. Does this conclude your testimony? A. Yes, it does. cAsE NO. SUZ-W-20-02 03/17/21 (stip)14ENGLISH, D STAFF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1-3 1,4 15 1,6 L7 18 19 20 2t 22 23 24 25 Professional QuaIif ications of Donn English Program Manager - Accounting and Audit Program Manager - Technical Analysis Idaho Public Utitities Commission EDUCATION Mr. English graduated from Boise State University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree j-n Accounting. His studies concentrated on corporate finance and taxation. He was a member of the Alpha Beta Psi honor society for Accounting students. He completed the Annual Regulat'ory Studies Program, the Advanced Regulatory Studies Program, and the Accounting and Ratemaking Course offered through the Institute of Public utilities at Michigan state university. Additionally, h€ regularly attends meeLings and conferences sponsored by the Nationat Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC) and the society of utility and Regulatory Financial Analysts. In 2001, Mr. English became a designated member of the American Societ.y of pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) and was awarded the professional designation of Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) and Quallfied 401 (k) Administrator (QKA) ' Mr. English was al-so a member of the Associat.ion of Certified Fraud Examiners. BUSINESS EXPERIENCE prior to joining the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC), Mr. English was a Trust Accountant wj-th a pension administration, actuarial, and consulting firm in Boise, Idaho' In 7,999, He was promoted to Pension Administrator, and in 2001 he was promoted to Pension Consultant. In that capacity, MT. English performed actuarial calculations and the required non- discrimination calcul-ations for hundreds of qualified retirement p1ans. He completed and filed Form 55OOs and represented clients during audits by the Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service. He also participated on the task force that wrote questions for t.he ASPPA administrator and actuarial exams. Exhibit No. 101 Case No. SUZ-W-20-02 D. English, Staff03ll7l2l Page 1 of 2 Professional Qualificationsof Donn English continued Mr. English joined t,he IPUC in 2003 as a St.aff Auditor. In 20L6, he was promoted to Audit Team Lead, and in 2018 he became the program Manager for the Accounting and Audit Department within the Utitities Divisj-on. In 2020, MI. English also accepted the responsibility of supervising the Technical Analysis and Energy Efficiency team. At the Commission, Mr. English has audited a number of utilities including electric, water, and natural gas companies, and provided comments and testimony in numerous cases that. deal with general rates, tax issues, pension issues, depreciat.ion and other accounting issues, and other regulatory policy decisions. MR. English participates in t.he Energy Efficiency Advisory Groups and External Stakeholder Advisory Committees for Idaho Power, Avista Utilities, Rocky Mountain Power, and Intermountain Gas Company. He is the Commission's representative on the NARUC Subcommj-ttee of Accounting and Finance, and he also t,eaches at the NARUC Rate school. Exhibit No. 101 Case No. SUZ-W-20-02 D. English, Staff 03ll7l2l Page2 of 2 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I HAVE THIS ITth DAY OF MARCH 2021, SERVED THE FOREGOING DIRECT TESTIMOIYY OF DOIIN ENGLISH IN SUPPORT OF THE STIPULATION AIID SETTLEMENT, N CASE NO. SUZ-W-20-02, BY E-MAILING A COPY THEREOF TO THE FOLLOWING: MICHAEL C CREAMER PRESTON N CARTER GIVENS PURSLEY LLP PO BOX2720 BOISE ID 83701-2720 E-MAIL : mcc(A,siY enspursley.com prestoncarter@ givenspursley.com LORNA K. JORGENSEN JOHN C. CORTABITARTE ADA COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CNIL DIVISION 2OO W. FRONT STREET, ROOM 3I9I BOISE,ID 83702 E-MAIL: ljorgensen@adacounty.id. gov j cortabitarte@adacounty. id. eov MARY R. GRANT SCOTT B. MUIR DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY BOISE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE 150 N. CAPITOL BLVD. P.O. BOX 500 BOISE,ID 83701-0500 E-MAIL: boisecityattorney@citvofboise.org BRAD M. PURDY 2019 N. 17rH ST. BOISE, TD 83702 E-MAIL: bmpurdy@hotmail.com DAVID NJUGUNA MGR _ REGULATORY BUSINESS SUEZ WATER MGMNT & SERVICES CO 461 FROM ROAD SUITE 4OO PARAMUS NJ 07052 E-MAIL: David.njuguna@suez.com NORMAN M. SEMANKO PARSONS BEHLE & LATIMER 8OO W. MAIN ST., STE.13OO BOISE,ID 83702 E-MAIL: NSemanko@parsonsbehle.com Boisedocket@oarsonsbehle. corn MARTY DURAND PIOTROWSKI DURAND PLLC 1O2O MAIN ST., STE. 440 P.O. BOX 2864 BOISE,ID 83701 E-MAIL: marty@idunionlaw.com KEN NAGY ATTORNEY AT LAW P.O. BOX 164 LEWISTON,ID 8350I E-MAIL: knaglz@lewiston.corn CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE AUSTIN RUESCHHOFF THORVALD A. NELSON 555 lTrH ST., STE. 3200 DENVER, CO 80202 E-MAIL : darueschhoff@hollandhart.com tnel son@hollandhart. com aclee@hollandhart.com gl garganomari @.hollandhart. com ZOE ANN OLSON EXCUTIVE DIRECTOR INTERMONTAIN FAIR HOUSING COUNCIL INC 4696W OVERLAND RD, STE 140 BOISE ID 83705 E-MAIL: zolson@ifhcidaho.org JIM SWIER GREG HARWOOD MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC. 8OOO S. FEDERAL WAY BOISE, ID 83707 E-MAIL: jswier@micron.com gbharwood@micron.com ARY CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE