20241106Direct Jolene Bossard.pdf

RECEIVED
Wednesday, November 6, 2024 4.36.35 PM
IDAHO PUBLIC
UTILITIES COMMISSION
BEFORE THE
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE )
APPLICATION OF IDAHO POWER ) CASE NO. IPC-E-24-07
COMPANY TO INCREASE RATES )
FOR ELECTRIC SERVICE TO )
RECOVER COSTS ASSOCIATED )
WITH INCREMENTAL CAPITAL )
INVESTMENTS AND CERTAIN )
ONGOING OPERATIONS AND )
MAINTENANCE EXPENSES )
DIRECT TESTIMONY OF JOLENE BOSSARD
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 6, 2024

1 Q. Please state your name and business address .
2 A. My name is Jolene Bossard. My business address
3 is 11331 W. Chinden Blvd. , BLDG 8, STE 201-A, Boise, Idaho
4 83714 .
5 Q. By whom are you employed and in what capacity?
6 A. I am employed by the Idaho Public Utilities
7 Commission ("Commission"
)) as a Utilities Compliance
8 Investigator in the Utilities Division.
9 Q. Please describe your educational background and
10 professional experience .
11 A. My educational background and professional
12 experiences are shown in Exhibit No . 112 .
13 Q. What is the purpose of your testimony in this
14 proceeding?
15 A. The purpose of my testimony is to present the
16 Commission Staff' s ("Staff") position on the following
17 consumer issues regarding Idaho Power Company ("Idaho
18 Power" or "Company") general rate case :
19 1 . The Customer Notice and Press Release filed in
20 this case;
21 2 . Reviewing the customer workshops;
22 3 . Summarizing the customer comments received by the
23 Commission regarding this case;
24 4 . Discussing the complaints received by the
25 Commission for the years 2021 through 2023 and through
CASE NO. IPC-E-24-07 BOSSARD, J. (Di) 1
11/06/24 STAFF

I September of 2024 .
2 Q. Are you sponsoring any exhibits with your
3 testimony?
4 A. Yes . I am sponsoring Exhibit Nos . 112, and 113 .
5 Q. Please summarize Staff' s recommendations as they
6 relate to consumer issues .
7 A. Staff is not making any formal recommendations in
8 this case regarding consumer issues .
9 Customer Notification and Customer Workshop
10 Q• Does the Company' s Customer Notice and Press
11 Release meet the requirements of the Commission' s Rule of
12 Procedure 125, IDAPA 31 . 01 . 01?
13 A. Yes . The Company' s Customer Notice and Press
14 Release were included with its Application and were
15 reviewed by Staff at that time for compliance .
16 Q• How were the Company' s customers informed of the
17 proposed rate case?
18 A. The Customer Notice was included with bills
19 mailed to customers beginning July 3, 2024, and ending
20 August 1, 2024, providing customers with sufficient
21 opportunity to submit written comments and participate in
22 the process designated by the Commission.
23 In addition to the Customer Notice and Press Release,
24 Staff hosted virtual Customer Workshops on September 4 and
25 September 5, 2024 . No customers called into the workshops .
CASE NO. IPC-E-24-07 BOSSARD, J. (Di) 2
11/06/24 STAFF

I Customer Comments Regarding the Proposed Rate Increase
2 Q. Have you reviewed the written customer comments
3 received by the Commission in this case?
4 A. Yes . As of November 6, 2024, 34 customers have
5 submitted comments regarding the proposed increase in
6 rates . The comments are primarily from residential
7 customers who oppose any increase in rates .
8 Q. What are some of the concerns mentioned
9 specifically by customers?
10 A. Many customers are low-income or fixed-income
11 customers who see basic living costs rising due to
12 increased inflation, but their wages and/or social security
13 income benefits are not keeping pace . In addition, a large
14 portion commented that the Company just received a rate
15 increase beginning January 1, 2024, and will receive
16 another increase to the customer charge effective January
17 1, 2025 .
18 Q. Are there other concerns mentioned by customers?
19 A. Yes . Several customers commented how the rate
20 increase adds an additional burden to solar customers and
21 that developers and commercial businesses should pay for
22 growth and the need for additional infrastructure, not all
23 rate payers .
24 Customer Complaints and Inquiries
25 Q• Please describe how many and what type of
CASE NO. IPC-E-24-07 BOSSARD, J. (Di) 3
11/06/24 STAFF

1 complaints and inquiries the Commission has received
2 regarding the Company between 2021 and 2023, and through
3 September 2024 .
4 A. Exhibit No . 113 shows the number of informal
5 complaints and inquiries received over the past three years
6 and 9 months .
7 Q. What are the current complaint trends?
8 A. The number of disconnections is up in 2024 when
9 compared to the previous three years, which may be an
10 indicator of the economy. There is also an increase in the
11 number of complaints/inquiries for Net Generation and
12 Billing. Both increases are due to the Commission' s
13 decision on the net generation in Case No . IPC-E-23-14, and
14 the increased customer charge in Case No . IPC-E-23-11,
15 respectively.
16 Q• Does this conclude your testimony?
17 A. Yes, it does .
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CASE NO. IPC-E-24-07 BOSSARD, J. (Di) 4
11/06/24 STAFF

Professional Qualifications
Of
Jolene Bossard
Utilities Compliance Investigator
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
EDUCATION
Ms . Bossard graduated with honors from the College of Western
Idaho (CWI) in 2013 with a dual Associate of Applied Science
(AAS) degree in Accounting and Administrative Support . She was
a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and did her
internship working as an admin in the president' s office of CWI .
BUSINESS EXPERIENCE
Prior to joining the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) ,
Ms . Bossard had twenty-nine years' experience working in private
industry for Hewlett Packard in a variety of positions . In the
1980' s, the positions included lamination, electroless, photo
lab, and process mechanic in the fabrication of printed circuit
boards . She was also trained for the chemical emergency
response team. The rest of her career was working as a New and
Current Technical Product/Process Specialist in the Storage
Division. In that capacity, she was an expert in life cycle
related activities and support in systemic transactions .
Ms . Bossard was responsible for assisting engineering teams,
marketing, procurement, and manufacturing in setting up,
implementing, and coordinating change to manufacturing processes
and products on a worldwide basis . In addition, she was
responsible for developing and documenting systems, processes,
investigating issues, collecting data, managing documentation,
and communicating/coordinating change between multiple world-
wide organizations in support of the life cycle activities .
Ms . Bossard joined the Idaho Public Utilities Commission in 2014
as a Utilities Compliance Investigator. For almost 11 years she
has investigated and facilitated conflict resolution between
customers and utilities in accordance with Utility Customer
Relations Rules and Idaho State Statutes by interviewing
consumers to determine and discuss the basis of their disputes,
Exhibit No . 112
Case No . IPC-E-24-07
J. Bossard, Staff
11/06/24 Page 1 of 2

suggest equitable solutions, and mediate disputes between
consumers and utilities or negotiate with utilities on behalf of
consumers . In addition, she works with agencies in helping
customers in financial crises procure funding to help pay their
utility bills .
She has also participated in a variety of cases before the
Commission with the responsibility of advocating on the
consumers behalf by reviewing issues from previous cases,
reviewing previous complaints, reviewing submitted comments from
customers, and investigating consumer issues raised in the case .
She also reviews the company' s customer facing documentation,
including notices and press releases .
Exhibit No . 112
Case No . IPC-E-24-07
J. Bossard, Staff
11/06/24 Page 2 of 2

Idaho Power
Complaint & Inquiry Totals
2021 - 2024
2021 2022 2023 2024 TOTAL
CREDIT AND COLLECTION 53 58 58 76 245
LINE EXTENSION/INSTALLATION 16 27 24 25 92
SERVICE OUTAGE/REPAIR 12 18 55 39 124
RENEWABLES / NET GENERATION 1 2 8 44 55
BILLING 14 20 32 53 119
RATES/POLICIES 55 39 72 50 216
ALL OTHER 35 52 66 25 178
TOTAL COMPLAINTS AND 186 216 315 312 1029
INQUIRIES
Complaints and Inquiries
80
70
60 —
50 —
40
30
20
10
0
O
■2021 ■2022 ■2023 ■2024
Exhibit No . 113
Case No . IPC-E-24-07
J. Bossard, Staff
11/06/24 Page 1 of 1

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I HAVE THIS 6t'�DAY OF NOVEMBER 2024,
SERVED THE FOREGOING DIRECT TESTIMONY OF JOLENE BOSSARD, IN CASE
NO. IPC-E-24-07, BY E-MAILING A COPY THEREOF TO THE FOLLOWING:
LISA D. NORDSTROM TIMOTHY TATUM
DONOVAN E WALKER CONNIE ASCHENBRENNER
MEGAN GOICOECHEA ALLEN MATT LARKIN
IDAHO POWER COMPANY IDAHO POWER COMPANY
PO BOX 70 PO BOX 70
BOISE ID 83707-0070 BOISE ID 83707-0070
E-MAIL: lnordstrom i,idahopower.com E-MAIL: ttatum cc,idahopower.com
dwalker lidahopower.com caschenbrenner c6dahopower.com
mgoicoecheaallen(c�,idahopower.com mlarkin lidahopower.com
dockets(clidahopower.coin
ERIC L OLSEN LANCE KAUFMAN PhD
ECHO HAWK& OLSEN PLLC 2623 NW BLUEBELL PLACE
PO BOX 6119 CORVALLIS OR 97330
POCATELLO ID 83205 E-MAIL: lance ct,,ae isg insi hg t.com
E-MAIL: elo(cLechohawk.com
PETER J RICHARDSON DR DON READING
RICARDSON ADAMS PLLC 280 S SILVERWOOD WAY
515 N 27TH STREET EAGLE ID 83616
BOISE ID 83702 E-MAIL: dreading(c�,mindspring.com
E-MAIL: petercrichardsonadams.com
BRAD HEUSINKVELD
ID CONSERVATION LEAGUE
710 N 6TH STREET
BOISE ID 83702
E-MAIL:
heusinkveld(c�,idahoconservation.org
PETER MEIER EMILY W MEDLYN
US DEPT OF ENERGY US DEPT OF ENERGY
1000 INDEPENDENCE AVE SW 1000 INDEPENDENCE AVE SW
WASHINGTON DC 20585 WASHINGTON DC 20585
E-MAIL: peter.meierAhg.doe.gov E-MAIL: Emil .i�yn cr,hq.doe.gov
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

JIM SWIER AUSTIN RUESCHHOFF
MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC THORVALD A NELSON
8000 S FEDERAL WAY AUSTIN W JENSEN
BOISE ID 83707 KRISTINE A.K. ROACH
E-MAIL: jswier a,micron.com HOLLAND & HART LLP
555 17TH ST STE 3200
DENVER CO 80202
E-MAIL: darueschhoff(cthollandhart.com
tnelson(cthollandhart.com
awjensen a hollandhart.com
karoach,,hollandhart.com
acleeghollandhart.com
mamcmillenLr hollandhart.com
ED JEWELL STEVEN HUBBLE
DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY BOISE CITY DEPT OF PUBLIC WORKS
BOISE CITY ATTORNEY'S PO BOX 500
PO BOX 500 BOISE ID 83701-0500
BOISE ID 83701-0500 E-MAIL: shubble�,cityofboise.org
E-MAIL: ejewell(atcityofboise.org
boisecityattorneyncityofboise.org
PATIZICIA JORDAN, CRETARY
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE