20240930Avista - Comments.pdf

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RECEIVED
Avista Corp. Monday, September 30, 2024
IDAHO PUBLIC
1411 East Mission P.O. Box 3727 UTILITIES COMMISSION
Spokane, Washington 99220-0500
Telephone [phone]
Toll Free 800-727-9170
September 29, 2024
State of Idaho
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
11331 W. Chinden Blvd
Bldg. 8 Suite 201-A
Boise, ID 83714
CASE No. AVU-E-24-12 —Comments of Avista Corporation in the Joint Petition Of Clearwater
Paper Corporation, Avista Corporation And Sofidel America Corp For Contract Approval And
Temporary Waiver Of Master Metering Rule.
COMMENTS OF AVISTA
Dear Commission Secretary:
On September 20, 2024, Clearwater Paper, Avista, and Sofidel filed a Joint Petition for approval
of the contract that Sofidel and Clearwater have entered into and providing for a temporary waiver
of Avista's Tariff provision generally prohibiting the master-metering of its electric services. In
support of this application, Avista would like to express its support of the transaction and the
temporary sub-metering arrangement set forth in this case.
Avista and Clearwater Paper work closely together given the size and scope of its operations. We
are very familiar with their processes and systems related to measuring electrical consumption.
Avista has had the need to use information from Clearwater's electrical measuring systems (i.e.,
their side of the meter) to capture current usage and demand for purposes of measuring energy
efficiency savings, for example. For example, Avista will perform pre-verification of energy
efficiency projects by placing data recorders on Clearwater Paper equipment to record current
energy use. This information is often times verified through the data Clearwater Paper captures
on their end to confidently know we have an accurate base to evaluate the energy efficiency
project, once complete.
Avista is familiar with the utility grade equipment that is being used throughout the Clearwater
Paper site and Avista has a high level of confidence in the accurate output of data they
provide. Clearwater Paper uses JEM meters for measuring energy usage and SEL relays to capture
peak demand on 30 minute intervals. Clearwater Paper and Avista also use the data historian,PI1,
1 hlWs://www.aveva.com/en/products/aveva-pi-system/

to capture historical data. That data from Clearwater Paper, along with data from Avista's PI
systems, is used to verify any potential questions or possible savings discrepancies. In certain
circumstances Avista will utilize Clearwater Paper PI data any time the monthly usage/load may
appear to be outside the expected levels. Clearwater Paper also utilizes the data they capture in
the PI system each month when they receive their monthly Avista bill to feel confident in the
amounts billed.
In the end, Avista is confident in Clearwater Paper's defined power distribution system and the
way it is clearly broken out to be able to capture the usage applicable to Sofidel each month for
the pass through billing arrangement. Avista joins Clearwater and Sofidel in their request for a
temporary waiver of the master metering tariff provisions in our tariff as well as the Commission's
generic prohibition on master metering to the extent it may be applicable.
Please direct any questions regarding this filing to me at (509) 495-8620 or
pat.ehrbar(a�avi stacorp.com.
Sincerely,
/s/ Patrick Ehrbar
Patrick D. Ehrbar
Director of Regulatory Affairs
Enclosures