20040525Responses of Avista to Staff.pdf

Avista Corp.
1411 East Mission PO Box 3727
Spokane. Washington 99220-3727
Telephone [phone]
Toll Free 800-727-9170 ~'V'STA~
Corp.
March 24 2004 Idaho Public Utilities Commission
Office of the SecretaryRECEIVED
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
472 W. Washington St.
Boise, ill 83720-0074
i\ttn: Scott Woodbury
Deputy i\ttomey General
MAY 2 5 2004
Boise, Idaho
Re:Production Request of the Commission Staff
in Case Nos. i\ VU-04-01 and i\ VU-04-
Mr. Woodbury,
I have attached an original and three copies of i\vista s response to Staff Data Request
No(s). 235, 236, 237, 254, 255 , 265 , 265(C), 266, and 266(C).
If you have any questions, please call me at [phone].
Mike Fi
Rate i\nal yst
Enclosures
Enclosures
Copy: C. Ward (Potlatch)
D. Peseau (Utility Resources, Inc)
A. Yanke! (Yanke! & Assoc., Inc)
, A VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:Idaho i\ TE PREP )\RED:05/24/2004
Ci\SE NO:i\ VU - E-04-0 1 1 i\ VU -04-0 1 WITNES S:Don Kopczynski
REQUESTER:IPUC RESPONDER:Don Falknerl
Sharon Vore
TYPE:Data Request DEP AATMENT:Rates/Foresty
REQUEST NO.Staff 235 TELEPHONE:[phone]
REQUEST:
Please provide schedules (in a legible, readable to the naked eye format and in electronic format)
showing the following information associated with vegetation management:a. i\ll amounts, by account and by year, that were charged to Idaho Electric for the
years 1998 through 2003;
i\ll amounts, by account and by year, that were budgeted to Idaho Electric for the
RESPONSE:
a. and c.
Year
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
years 1998 through 2003;
Please provide the same information requested in items a and b on a system-wide
basis.
Please see the attached spreadsheet schedule for system and Idaho Electric
vegetation management charges by account for the years 1998-2003.
Budget information is provided below for the Forestry Department, responsibility
code D51, as this is the primary cost center. i\ctual costs noted in (a) above do
include some additional cost centers that do not budget vegetation management
directly. The exception is 2002 where company line crews who normally
performed other functions were re-directed to vegetation management work. i\11
figures are "system" costs. See the Company s response to Staff Request No. 237
for additional information.
D51 Budget
$3,781,622
$3,642 972'
198,491
$3,114 194
$489 904
327,595
D51 i\ctuals
$3,775,801
552 086
875,470
696,735
$403,061
655 104
Line Crew Budget Line Crew i\ctual
519,434 $809,489
' "
VEGET A TION MANAGEMENT
1998-2003
FERC Idaho Jurisdiction
Account 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
590 216,917 211,252 323,413 120,802 105,943 130,856
593 319,048 247,548 948,114 916,347 403,246 813,789
Total Transmission 535,965 1,458,800 271,527 037,149 509,189 944 645
568 11,367 13,443 19,783 764 29,863 42,510
571 302 211 211,274 80,384 236,044 11,203 196,660
Total Distribution 313,578 224 717 100,167 258,808 41,066 239,170
Total 849,543 683,517 371,694 295,957 550,255 183,815
FERC
Account 1998
System Jurisdiction1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
590 715,620 646,150 547,393 377,029 255,034 300,434
593 062,849 050,262 172 730 335,254 987,615 524 082
Total Transmission 778,469 696,412 720,123 712,283 242,649 824 516
568 31,681 37,466 55,138 63,444 83,231 118,478
571 842 283 588,835 224,035 657,871 31,223 548,104
Total Distribution 873,964 626,301 279,173 721,315 114,454 666,582
Total 652,433 322,713 999,296 3,433,598 357,103 2,491,098
' --
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:Idaho Di\ TE PREP i\RED:05/24/2004
Ci\SE NO:i\ VU - E-04-0 1 1 i\ VU -04-0 1 WITNESS:Don Kopczynski
REQUESTER:IPUC RESPONDER:Don Falknerl
Sharon Yore
TYPE:Data Request DEP AATMENT:Rates/Forestry
REQUEST NO.Staff 236 TELEPHONE:[phone]
REQUEST:
Please provide a schedule showing the total amount budgeted for vegetation management for
2004 for Idaho Electric, and for the total system. Please break out the budgeted amount for 2004
by the regular, ongoing vegetation management program, and the amount for the "catch up" due
to the deferral due to the cost cutting measures. Please identify these costs by FERC account,
and by vegetation management activity.
RESPONSE:
i\s discussed during the Staff's on-site visit, the 2004 information is broken out on the tree
trimming workpaper by jurisdiction, by account and by the amount that is related to the deferral
of some previously scheduled line clearance. i\ larger font worksheet was also provided during
that visit.
' "
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:Idaho i\ TE PREP l\RED:05/24/2004
Ci\SE NO:i\ VU-04-01 1 i\ VU-04-WITNES S:Don Kopczynski
REQUESTER:IPUC RESPONDER:Don Falknerl
Sharon Vore
TYPE:Data Request DEP AATMENT:Rates/Foresty
REQUEST NO.Staff 237 TELEPHONE:[phone]
REQUEST:
Don Kopczynski's testimony, on page 17, lines 10 - 12, refers to a reduction in the vegetation
management program in 2001 and 2002 due to the extreme financial stress experience by the
Company beginning in early 2001. Please provide the following information:
i\n analysis for the vegetation management cost reductions;
The budgeted amounts for vegetation management for those years;
The actual amounts expended during those years for vegetation management;
Specifically provide a schedule showing what aspects of the vegetation
management program were deferred until a later date, and what aspects, if any,
were temporaril y abandoned.
RESPONSE:
The attached normal font worksheet lists company line circuits by state, area, substation, mileage
and planned trimming cycle years. It shows costs and years where trimming occurred or was
scheduled, as well as noting which lines planned trim schedules where deferred.
During the period where company expenditures were constrained due to the financial impacts of
the western energy crisis on i\ vista, vegetation management standards were maintained. Instead
of incurring incremental expenditures associated with outside contractors doing the majority of
vegetation management, current company line crews and servicemen were assigned to those
tasks. The tree work was prioritized by our foresters where danger trees, as identified and
marked by those foresters, were assigned to in-house crews. Contractors were used only if
removal of trees were deemed unsafe for our in-house crews. The in-house crews concentrated
on outlying areas where potential outages caused by vegetation issues would be difficult to get to
on a timely basis. Residential circuits are located in areas that already allow for quicker line
crew response. Some residential circuits were treated with "tree growth regulators" and are
maintaining their line clearance.
Please see the Company s response to DR 235 for budget information.
.. ,
12 PAGES OF LARGE CHARTS
SEE CASE FILE
JURISDICTION:
Ci\SE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
REQUEST:
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Idaho
A VU-04-01 / A VU-04-
IPUC
Data Request
Staff - 254
DATE PREPARED:
WITNES S
RESPONDER:
DEPARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
5/19/2004
Lafferty
Lafferty
Energy Resources
[phone]
Please provide a schedule that identifies the number of hours that the Boulder Park project ran in
2002 and 2003 that includes the dates the project ran.
RESPONSE:
Please find the attached spreadsheet labeled "Boulder Park - Run Hours
Boulder Park
Run Hours
19-
(".",.
Page
Boulder Park
Run Hours
19-
Run
Hours
-~,
~~'W~-"
"""..."""",
w_".
, ,
Page 2
Boulder Park
Run Hours
"'.
.""W.
Page 3
19-
"-",-'""._.-_"
..w...
."."...
9-,
Boulder Park
Run Hours
19-
, '
Page 4
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
REQUEST:
VISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Idaho
AVU-04-01 / AVU-04-
IPUC
Data Request
Staff - 255
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPONDER:
DEPARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
5/19/2004
Lafferty
Lafferty
Energy Resources
[phone]
Please provide a schedule that identifies the number of hours that the Kettle Falls project ran in
2002 and 2003 that includes the dates the project ran.
RESPONSE:
Please find the attached spreadsheet labeled "Kettle Falls Combustion Turbine Run Hours
Kettle Falls Combustion Turbine
Runs Hours
19-
""M_'=",.
" ,',
Page
Kettle Falls Combustion Turbine
Runs Hours
19-
Page 2
Kettle Falls Combustion Turbine
Runs Hours
19-
Page 3
Kettle Falls Combustion Turbine
Runs Hours
19-
, ,',
Page 4
AVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
' "
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
Idaho
A VU-04-01 / A VU-04-
IPUC
Data Request
Staff - 265
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPONDER:
DEPARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
5/20/2004
Lafferty
Lafferty
Energy Resources
[phone]
REQUEST:
To the extent not provided in response to Staff Request No. 243, please provide a copy of any
operations and maintenance agreements between vista, Mirant, and PGE for operation of the
Coyote Springs II (CS II) plant. What recourse does vista have against PGE in the event PGE
negligently operates the plant causing losses or forgone gains to i\ vista?
RESPONSE:
The response is being provided with A vista s data response to Staff, Request No. 265(C). The
materials provided contain TRADE SECRET or CONFIDENTIAL information and are
separately filed under IDi\Pi\ 31.01.01, Rule 067 and Section 9-340D, Idaho Code.
AVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
JURISDICTION:
CASE NO:
REQUESTER:
TYPE:
REQUEST NO.
Idaho
AVU-04-01 / AVU-04-
IPUC
Data Request
Staff - 266
DATE PREPARED:
WITNESS:
RESPONDER:
DEPARTMENT:
TELEPHONE:
5/20/2004
Lafferty
Lafferty
Energy Resources
[phone]
REQUEST:
On page 16, lines 13-20 of Robert Lafferty s testimony, he discusses options considered by
vista for sale of portions or all of the CS IT project and states that three proposals were
received. Please describe the process followed by the Company to solicit proposals for purchase
of all or portions of the plant. Did the Company issue a Request For Proposals (RFP)? If so,
please provide a copy. Does i\ vista believe that a fair and reasonable price was obtained given
that only three proposals were received and considered?
RESPONSE:
The requested materials are being provided with i\vista s data response to Staff, Request No.
266(C). The materials provided contain TRADE SECRET or CONFIDENTIAL information
and are separately filed under IDAPA 31.01.01 , Rule 067 and Section 9-340D, Idaho Code.
CONFIDENTIAL ATTACHMENTS