Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout20221020Notice_of_Application_Order_No_35569.pdfNOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE ORDER NO. 35569 1 Office of the Secretary Service Date October 20, 2022 BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF VEOLIA WATER IDAHO INC. FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES AND CHARGES FOR WATER SERVICE IN THE STATE OF IDAHO ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) CASE NO. VEO-W-22-02 NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE ORDER NO. 35569 On September 30, 2022, Veolia Water Idaho, Inc. (“Company” or “Veolia”) filed an Application requesting authorization to raise the rates it charges for water service. The Company requests an October 31, 2022, effective date. NOTICE OF APPLICATION YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that Veolia is a Commission-regulated water corporation that provides service to Boise City and surrounding areas and currently serves approximately 105,000 customers in Ada County, Idaho. See Idaho Code §§ 61-125 and 61-129. The Company provides service under Amended Certificate of Public Convenience No. 143. See Idaho Code § 61-526. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia’s most recent general rate case was two years ago in Case No. SUZ-W-20-02. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia has submitted proposed Schedule Numbers 1, 1B, 2, 3, and 4 setting forth the proposed changes to be made to customers rates. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia represents that if the Commission approves the request in full, customer bills would be adjusted by 24.1% and Company revenues would increase by 23.4% or $12.1 million per year. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia represents that the proposed rate of return under the revised rates and charges will be 7.77%. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia represents that the revenue realized under its presently authorized rates produces a rate of return of 4.59% based on a historical year ending NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE ORDER NO. 35569 2 June 30, 2022. Veolia states that it seeks additional revenues to recover increased operating expenses and costs associated with plant additions, and to produce a fair rate of return. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia is proposing a revision to its Rules and Regulations Governing the Rendering of Water Service to reflect the name change from Suez Water Idaho Inc. to Veolia Water Idaho, Inc.; to eliminate 1¼-inch meters reference from the tariff; to revise the service line connection from one-inch or smaller to two-inch or smaller according to NFPA 13D standards; and to implement a Distribution System Improvement Charge. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia proposes to implement the requested increase in revenue by a uniform percentage increase to all rate elements, except for private fire rates which would see no increase. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia represents that the average residential bill would increase by $0.25 a day or $7.59 per month, the average commercial bill by $0.93 a day or $27.92 a month, and the average public authority bill by $0.85 a day or $25.46 a month. Legacy Eagle Water Company area customer rates will continue to phase-in over time. The existing Eagle average residential bill would increase by $0.15 a day or $4.43 per month, the average commercial bill by $0.54 a day or $16.29 a month, and the average public authority bill by $0.50 a day or $14.85 a month. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia represents that notice to its customers is being accomplished by news media releases simultaneously with the filing of this Application and by an individual notice mailed to each customer, that copies of the press release and customer notice are attached to this Application; and that a copy of the Application and proposed rate schedules are available for public inspection at its office at 8248 West Victory Road, Boise, Idaho, at any time during office hours. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Application and supporting documentation have been filed with the Commission and are available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Commission’s office. These documents are also available on the Commission’s website at www.puc.idaho.gov. Click on the “WATER” icon, select “Open Cases,” and click on the case number as shown on the front of this document. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission has designated this case as a general rate case. As such, the Company’s intrastate revenue requirement, and every component NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE ORDER NO. 35569 3 of it, both rate base and expense, are at issue. The Commission may grant, deny, or modify the revenue requirement requested and may find a revenue requirement different from that proposed by any party is just, fair, and reasonable. IDAPA 31.01.01.124.01. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all of the Company’s retail rates and charges, both recurring and non-recurring, including those of special contract customers, are at issue, and every component of every existing and proposed rate and charge is at issue. The Commission may approve, reject, or modify the rates and charges proposed and may find that rates and charges different from those proposed by any party are just, fair, and reasonable. IDAPA 31.01.01.124.02. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission may approve, reject, or modify existing or proposed relationships between and among rates and charges within, between, or among customer classes or rate groupings and may approve, reject, or modify existing or proposed relationships among and between customer classes or rate groupings. Id. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission may abolish, reduce, or create rate blocks or categories of rates and charges; abolish, create, or reduce components of rates and charges; abolish, reduce, or create customer classes or rate groupings; and abolish, reduce, or create absolute or relative differences among and between existing classes or rate groupings of customers. Id. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the tariffs, practices, rules and regulations, service, instrumentalities, equipment, facilities, classifications, and customer relations of the utility are at issue, and the Commission may address any of them in its order. Id. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission has jurisdiction over Veolia, its filing, and the issues pertaining to this case pursuant to Title 61 of the Idaho Code and specifically Idaho Code §§ 61-501, -502, -507, -520, -523, and -622. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all proceedings in this matter will be conducted pursuant to the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.000 et seq. NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Veolia filed its Application on September 30, 2022, and proposed an October 31, 2022, effective date. The Commission finds that Veolia’s proposed effective date does not provide adequate time for Commission Staff and interested persons to evaluate the Company’s proposal. Pursuant to Idaho Code § 61-622, the Commission NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE ORDER NO. 35569 4 suspends the proposed changes for thirty (30) days and five (5) months or until the Commission enters an order accepting, rejecting, or modifying the proposed rate increases. NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that persons desiring to intervene in this matter to obtain parties’ rights of participation must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission pursuant to this Commission's Rules of Procedure 71-73, IDAPA 31.01.01.072-073. Persons who wish to intervene as a party must file a Petition to Intervene no later than 21 days after the date of service of this Order. Persons desiring to present their views without parties’ rights of participation do not have to intervene and may present their comments without prior notification to the Commission or the parties. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission Secretary shall issue a Notice of Parties after the deadline for intervention has passed. The Notice of Parties shall assign exhibit numbers to each party in this proceeding. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that once the Notice of Parties is issued, Commission Staff will informally confer with the parties to discuss a schedule to process this case and other issues as may be raised by the parties. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the following persons are designated as the Company’s representatives in this matter: Preston N. Carter Morgan D. Gooding Givens Pursley LLP 601 W. Bannock St. Boise, ID 83702 prestoncarter@givenspursley.com morgangooding@givenspursley.com David Njuguna Manager-Regulatory Business Veolia Water M&S 461 From Road, Suite 400 Paramus, NJ 07052 david.njuguna@veolia.com YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all hearings and prehearing conferences in this matter will be held in facilities meeting the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Persons needing the help of a sign language interpreter or other assistance in order to participate in or to understand testimony and argument at a public hearing may ask the Commission to provide a sign language interpreter or other assistance at the hearing. The request for assistance must be received at least five working days before the hearing by contacting the Commission Secretary at: NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE ORDER NO. 35569 5 IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION PO BOX 83720 BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074 Telephone: (208) 334-0338 Facsimile: (208) 334-3762 Email: secretary@puc.idaho.gov ORDER IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the October 31, 2022, effective date that Veolia proposes for its rate increases is suspended for thirty (30) days plus five (5) months or until the Commission enters an earlier order accepting, rejecting, or modifying the proposed rate increases. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that persons desiring to intervene in this case for the purpose of obtaining parties’ rights of participation must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission, under Rules 71-73, IDAPA 31.01.01.071-073, no later than 21 days after the service date of this Order. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, after the Secretary issues a Notice of Parties, Staff will informally confer with the parties to discuss the appropriate scheduling of this case. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that parties comply with Order No. 35375, issued April 21, 2022. Generally, all pleadings should be filed with the Commission electronically and will be deemed timely filed when received by the Commission Secretary. See Rule 14.02. Service between parties should continue to be accomplished electronically when possible. However, voluminous discovery-related documents may be filed and served on CD-ROM or a USB flash drive. NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE ORDER NO. 35569 6 DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this 20th day of October 2022. ERIC ANDERSON, PRESIDENT JOHN CHATBURN, COMMISSIONER _________________________________________ JOHN R. HAMMOND JR., COMMISSIONER ATTEST: Jan Noriyuki Commission Secretary I:\Legal\WATER\VEO-W-22-02 rates\Orders\VEOW2202_Ntc_App_Int_Susp_cb.docx