20241017Avista - Comments.pdf

11
RECEIVED
Avista Corp. Thursday, October 17,2024
1411 East Mission P.O. Box 3727 IDAHO PUBLIC
Spokane, Washington 99220-0500 UTILITIES COMMISSION
Telephone [phone]
Toll Free 800-727-9170
October 17, 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.
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.
On October 15, 2024, Commission Staff filed its Comments recommending that the waiver be
granted, conditioned on the Parties submitting a compliance filing clarifying how demand charge
billing discrepancies will be resolved. Staff also recommends that the Commission order Avista
to:
1. Submit infrastructure project status updates to Staff semi-annually to demonstrate that
this work is being completed in a timely manner until such time that the waiver is no longer
necessary.
2. Notify the Commission if Clearwater's internal metering and monitoring equipment is
not being maintained in such a way to ensure accurate billing based on each entity's usage
and the methods approved through the Commission's orders in this case.
3. Assess the need to amend the Clearwater special contract when Sofidel becomes an
Avista customer.
Having reviewed Staff s comments and the request for a compliance filing and the three additional
conditions, Avista supports Staffs recommendations and appreciates their thorough review of the
filing. Avista requests a Compliance Filing due date of December 31, 2024, and that the first
infrastructure report be due on May 31, 2025, and every six months thereafter.

Please direct any questions regarding this filing to me at (509) 495-8620 or
pat.ehrbar(as,avistacorp.com.
Sincerely,
/s/ Patrick Ehrbar
Patrick D. Ehrbar
Director of Regulatory Affairs
Enclosures