HomeMy WebLinkAbout20180130AVU to WNIDCL_PR_37 Attachment A.pdfStewardship.
Shared Value.
Avista’s Report on Our Performance 2016
Sustainability.
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Table of Contents
A Message from Our Leadership ..................................................2
About the Report .........................................................................4
Utility Operations .........................................................................8
Environmental Stewardship ........................................................42
Community Partnership .............................................................62
Our Company ............................................................................78
Global Reporting Initiative ..........................................................94
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A Message
from Our Leadership
On Nov. 17, 2015, Spokane, Washington was hit
with an unprecedented windstorm with near-
hurricane force winds that devastated parts of our
service territory. Over the following 10 days,
employees from all across Avista and organizations
from across the community banded together to
restore power to the 180,000 (nearly half) Avista
electric customers that were without power as a
result. It was all hands on deck.Dennis P. Vermillion
President, Avista Utilities
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In addition to the lineworkers working around the clock
to restore power, Avista employees and leadership (many
also without power) could be seen going door-to-door
checking on neighbors, delivering generators to critical
businesses in need and offering their work time to
whatever needed to be done throughout the company.
We also contributed significant funds to community
organizations that were providing comfort and
necessities for those without power.
While the situation was extreme, the restoration effort
was something we could be proud of – a community
working together for the greater good. It was an
example of the tremendous commitment we have to our
customers, communities and all of our stakeholders. For
more than 125 years, we have worked together to
identify a path forward that will address a challenge,
solve a problem or make our community stronger.
Through all we do, I’m reminded that our vision for the
future aligns with and reinforces where we’ve been.
Sustainability and stewardship of our communities and
environment have been engrained in our company since
we began. We’ve maintained a tight focus on our core
business of delivering the energy that enhances the lives
of our customers while identifying new ways we can
provide value and maintain the strength and integrity of
our system and the places we call home. The success we
find is a shared success that doesn’t simply benefit
Avista. Our success lies in creating shared opportunities
and value for Avista, our customers and the communities
we serve.
As I look at the accomplishments we achieved together
in 2015, I’m as proud as I’ve ever been to be part of
Avista. Throughout our journey – past, present and
future – we recognize that our purpose is not just to put
the wires up or keep rates down. At Avista, our work
and the innovation we dedicate ourselves to is about
improving the lives of our customers, to make a positive
impact in the communities we serve.
With this, we’re proud to present our 2016 Shared Value
Report, the eighth report on our operations, that
provides a comprehensive view into our business and
the work done that demonstrates our commitment to
our stakeholders.
Creating shared value means aligning our strategic
business interests, including philanthropy and
community involvement, in powerful ways that create
the opportunity to bring value to our stakeholders. The
key drivers are the links between our corporate strategic
plans — opportunities that create economic value for
our company — and the positive outcomes that also
address societal needs and challenges.
Our activities and shared value opportunities throughout
2015, many of which you will read about, highlight the
investments we continue to make in our systems,
infrastructure, employees and communities and align
with our company strategies:
• Customer Engagement and Value — Deliver more
value to more customers and strengthen engagement;
• Community Vitality — Act through partnerships and
service to enhance community vitality and prosperity
in the communities we serve;
• Safe and Reliable Infrastructure — Invest in our
infrastructure to achieve optimum life-cycle
performance — safely, reliably and at a fair price;
• Responsible Resources — Control a portfolio of
resources that responsibly meet our longterm
energy needs;
• People and Performance — Reinforce a values-
driven culture of employees who do the right thing to
help us succeed;
• Financial Performance — Strengthen financial
performance to remain a healthy company and an
attractive investment; and
• Effective Public Policy Outcomes — Drive
positive outcomes at the local, state, regional and
federal levels.
The stories highlighted in this report underscore the
power of working together for a shared outcome — one
that is meaningful and has a lasting impact but also
serves to move Avista and our communities toward
our goals.
Throughout the following pages, you’ll read stories that
paint the picture of how we do things and delve deeper
into the numbers behind our operations.
Thank you for your interest in Avista and this report. We
hope that you will give us your feedback on the report
and that you will share it with others.
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Materiality
Materiality involves identifying those topics and issues
that matter most to Avista and our stakeholder groups.
We balance providing content that meets GRI guidelines
and industry expectations with content that is
stakeholder-relevant.
Throughout this report, we’ve included and highlighted
those items that have been identified as material.
You will notice icons that call attention to these items.
About the report
The information in this report is based on the Global
Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Guidelines and the Electric
Utility Sector Supplement (EU). The most recent previous
report was published in July 2015. We have considered
the G4 Guidelines and you will see an emphasis on
materiality throughout this report. We may report based
on G4 Guidelines in the coming years. This report
maintains a consistent format and structure as in
previous years and a continued focus on shared value —
how we create and bring value for our company and our
stakeholders. Content and stories are informed not only
by the G3 Guidelines but by what our stakeholders have
told us is important and relevant to them. Information
contained here is focused solely on Avista Utilities, a
regulated business unit of Avista Corporation. Avista
Utilities had no significant changes in size or structure in
2015. Data in the report is current as of Dec. 31, 2015,
except where otherwise noted. This report is available
for review online as well as for download in PDF at
avistautilities.com.
This is our eighth annual
voluntary report on our
operations, with an
emphasis on corporate
social responsibility and
shared value opportunities.
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The materiality of information included in this
report is determined by the level of significance
each issue has in terms of:
• Stakeholder interest, as measured by surveys, focus
groups, formal and informal discussions and anecdotal
information;
• Its impact on our business today and in the future, as
determined by state and federal regulatory and
voluntary data reporting, and financial significance;
Im
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LOW
HI
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Relevance for Avista
Stakeholder Materiality
SYSTEM RELIABILITYConsistency of energy delivery
CORPORATE CITIZENSHIPCommunity relations, volunteerism, philanthropy, sponsorships
CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONCompany performance in ways that meet customer needs
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
Stewardship of environmental elements impacted by operations
RESOURCE PLANNING
Short and long-term outlook to meet customers’ energy needs
• Society’s interest, in terms of its impact on the
communities we serve and its importance, relevance
or perception in part as reflected by coverage through
traditional and social media channels; and
• Materiality checks conducted with external groups that
were asked to rate 25 specific topics in terms of their
perceived impact on stakeholders and their relevance
to Avista. The list of topics is here.
The analysis of all available information resulted in
five material topics which informed the majority of
content for this report:
• System Reliability
• Customer Satisfaction
• Resource Planning
• Environmental Performance
• Corporate Citizenship
HIGH
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Review Of The Report
While this report was not reviewed by outside
stakeholders prior to its publication, we anticipate
sharing it with the stakeholder groups we regularly
interface with throughout the coming year. In doing so,
we hope to engage individuals and organizations in an
ongoing dialogue about our business operations and
solicit suggestions about opportunities to further build
shared value.
This report is available online at:
avistautilities.com
For additional information about this report, or to
give us feedback on our performance, please
contact us at:
SharedValue@avistacorp.com
We welcome your questions and comments.
Forward-Looking Statement
This report contains forward-looking statements
regarding the company’s current expectations. Forward-
looking statements are all statements other than
historical facts. Such statements speak only as of the
date of the report and are subject to a variety of risks
and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the
company’s control, which could cause actual results to
differ materially from the expectations. These risks and
uncertainties include, in addition to those discussed
herein, all of the factors discussed in Avista Corp.’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
Dec. 31, 2015.
Acknowledgements
This report is produced through a partnership of
knowledgeable and talented Avista employees,
stakeholders and creative vendors within our service
territory. We thank all of them for their time,
contributions and support.
Editor:
Casey Fielder
Communications Manager
Design:
Klündt | Hosmer
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Energy for Life — Innovation for the Future
Utility Operations
From generating and delivering energy to empowering
communities and embracing new technologies, we keep
our stakeholders’ needs at the forefront of all we do.
We strive to:
• Provide safe, reliable service that is there when
it’s needed.
• Bring value to our customers through services,
programs and methods for using energy efficiently.
• Plan for the future through investments in utility
infrastructure, resource planning and exploration of
new technologies.
Over the past few years, Avista has built a new
foundation for our energy future. We are one of a
handful of utilities across the country to receive multiple
grants from the Department of Energy through the
American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. By investing
more than $80 million of combined federal matching
funds and Avista capital, we’ve successfully modernized
portions of our grid with upgraded substations and
new software, sensors and switches that allow us to
operate our distribution systems more efficiently
and reliably.
We know that technology continues to transform the
energy industry, and that we’ll continue to make
significant investments in our grid to accommodate
technology and serve our customers into the future.
Year after year, we are making intentional decisions
about how we engage in responsible use of our
resources, invest in our infrastructure and empower
customers to manage their energy use. Our utility
operations encompass a broad range of projects and
actions all with a common focus on efficiency,
reliability, forward-thinking and customer benefit so that
we can deliver on our purpose of improving life’s quality,
with energy.
Across Avista, we focus
on running our business
to meet our customers’
expectations, efficiently
and effectively.
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Energy Storage Project:
A Game Changer
Avista continues to tackle one of the energy industry’s
biggest challenges — how to integrate intermittent
power from renewable energy into the electrical grid —
through its Energy Storage Project.
This leading-edge energy storage research will help
address this challenge while also examining better ways
to improve power system reliability.
The Energy Storage Project is testing new batteries that
can store power when it’s abundant and distribute
energy when it’s needed, providing reliable energy to our
customers regardless of weather patterns. This
technology may enable better grid reliability, rapid
adoption of renewable energy, store abundant resources
for a later time and help level out peak demand.
Washington state Governor Jay Inslee, Senator Maria
Cantwell and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers
were in Pullman, Washington to flip the switch on the
Energy Storage Project that went online in April 2015.
This significant milestone marked the beginning of
battery system testing.
At the time the system went online, it was the largest-
capacity vanadium-flow battery system in North America
and Europe. The one-megawatt, 3.2 MWh battery
storage system has the capacity to power 750 homes for
3.2 hours. The $7 million project is funded by a $3.2
million grant from Governor Inslee and the Washington
State Department of Commerce’s Clean Energy Fund
and another $3.8 million in Avista matching funds.
Over an 18-month period, Avista is testing different
scenarios in a real-world setting, and the results will
inform future operations.
Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Project
Concludes with Positive Results
For the past five years, Avista has collaborated with
regional partners to complete the Pacific Northwest
Smart Grid Demonstration Project. The goal of the
project was to illustrate how a system with the ability to
share information between the utility and customer can
improve reliability, efficiency and the adjustment of loads
based on demand while assisting in energy conservation.
Avista’s contribution to the project was the Smart Grid
Demonstration, which transformed Pullman, Washington
into the region’s first “smart city.” Customers in this area
had Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) installed.
Smart thermostats were installed in a subset of the
customers’ homes and had the capability to display
usage information to the customer as well as
communicate this data to Avista through the customer’s
AMI smart meter.
Utilizing AMI technology allowed Avista to start or stop
service remotely — translating into improved customer
service and a reduced number of service calls. The
reduction in service calls increased operating efficiency
which translated into a savings of approximately
$235,000 annually for Avista in this service area.
Additionally, there was a reduction in the electrical load
in Pullman illustrating that conservation may be another
positive outcome of this technology.
Nine Mile Dam Multi-Year
Renovations Proceed
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A multi-year renovation to Avista’s 106-year-old Nine
Mile Dam began in 2013, with overhaul efforts moving
toward a 10 MW increase in generating capacity. The
project is underway to replace two of the original four
turbine-generator units, and other equipment as well as
upgrading or replacing the turbine-generating units, the
creation of a new warehouse, communication systems
upgrades and upgrades to other systems within the
powerhouse.
The project reached a milestone in the spring of 2015
with the de-watering of the tailrace under two of the
generating units that will be upgraded and the
installation of new station service switchgear and a
transformer. The new switchgear will allow the power
from the two oldest generating units to be transferred to
the Nine Mile substation and then on to customers.
In the fall of 2015, another project milestone was
reached as we began placing new concrete that will
serve as the foundation for the new turbine generating
units. The multi-year project is expected to be complete
in 2019 and will continue to provide reliable, cost-
effective hydropower for our customers.
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Damages to Underground Utilities
Continue to Decline in Avista’s
Service Territory
Educating customers and the community about the
importance of calling 811 before any digging project is
the most important measure of prevention that can be
taken to help continue to reduce the number of
damages to underground utilities and increase safety.
In 2015, Avista held 168 public education events in our
service territory designed to educate our communities
about being safe around underground utilities and the
role of 811 in preventing damage. This kind of education
is a key element of our outreach efforts to keep our
customers safe around electricity and natural gas and
underscores our commitment to safety.
Since 2011, Avista’s service territory has seen a 41
percent decrease in the number of underground utility
damages per 1,000 locates while the number of locates
requested has increased by 48 percent. The national
average is 3.2 dig ins per 1,000 locates; Avista’s 2015
average was 4.6.
Kettle Falls Biomass Plant
Participates in Forest Coalition to
Create Successful Solutions
Through involvement with the Northeast Washington
Forestry Coalition (NEWFC) Avista’s Kettle Falls
Generating Station (KFGS) in Washington has partnered
with other stakeholders on projects promoting forest
health. The biomass produced from efforts to thin forest
vegetation is processed into fuel at KFGS. This process
helps protect the environment by reducing particulate
emissions. The logs harvested through these projects are
provided to regional sawmills and plywood plants for
processing which helps keep these local customers in
business. Avista’s role in the Coalition is an excellent
example of the commitment to customers, the
community and the environment, illustrating how
innovation, collaboration and trust lead to resolutions
that benefit all.
The NEWFC’s collaboration of local stakeholders in the
Colville National Forest consists of several government
agencies, timber companies, conservationists, business
owners, forestry professionals and an Avista
representative. All parties have an interest in the forest
for different reasons and were able to work together to
design a plan that benefitted all stakeholders.
The coalition has been described as a model for timber
communities nationwide.
LEDs to Light the Way Through
Avista’s Streetlight Change
Out Program
New lights are shining in Avista’s Washington and Idaho
service area as the company launched a streetlight
change program in October 2015. Beginning in
Washington, the plan includes the replacement of nearly
30,000 company-owned streetlights with energy
efficient LED lights, over five years. In 2015, 4,500
streetlights were replaced.
As current High Pressure Sodium (HPS) streetlights burn
out, they are being replaced with LED technology. When
Avista completes the transition to LED technology for
company-owned streetlights, the energy savings are
expected to be enough each night to power about
2,300 homes. The energy savings is good for customers
In 2015, Avista held 168
public education events
in our service territory
designed to educate our
communities about
being safe around
underground utilities
and the role of 811 in
preventing damage.
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and Avista, while providing savings through reduced
maintenance, equipment, material and other costs
associated with continued use of 1980s-era HPS lights.
In addition to the planned streetlight change out project,
Avista is also participating in the Relight Washington
program which was recently launched by Washington
state’s Transportation Improvement Board (TIB).
Through the Relight Washington program, funding is
provided directly to small cities owning their own
streetlights, helping them convert to LED lights and
benefit from the energy saving technology. As part of
the program, Avista will help administer a portion of the
$6 million in statewide TIB grants that will help
qualifying small cities using Avista-owned streetlights
benefit from LED technology.
Avista and Washington Elementary
School Partner for Energy Savings
As the result of energy efficiency improvements made to
Washington Elementary School in 2015, as well as an
on-going partnership between Avista and the Medford
School District, Avista presented a check to Washington
for approximately $12,500 in energy efficiency incentives
in September 2015.
The Medford School District completed many efficiency
upgrades at Washington, including insulation of flooring
which helps the site save energy by maintaining
temperature. The insulation retrofit project at
Washington is estimated to save the Medford School
District over 3,600 therms and $3,000 annually in
avoided natural gas consumption. The savings realized,
not only from this project but other ongoing
conservation efforts District-wide, will be redirected into
programs and services for our students.
In addition to the energy savings, the District sees
educational benefits from these projects. The insulation
project will make the classrooms more comfortable by
buffering the outside weather conditions. Without the
energy efficiency rebate provided by Avista, the Medford
School District would not have been able to complete
this project.
Avista offers a number of energy efficiency programs for
residential and commercial customers as a tool to help
reduce their energy usage and resulting costs.
Avista offers a number of energy efficiency
programs for residential and commercial
customers as a tool to help reduce their energy
usage and resulting costs. These tariff-based
programs have been offered for over three
decades because it generally costs less to help
customers reduce their usage through energy
efficiency programs than to acquire additional,
more costly energy resources.
These tariff-based programs have been offered for over
three decades because it generally costs less to help
customers reduce their usage through energy efficiency
programs than to acquire additional, more costly energy
resources.
The energy efficiency programs offered by Avista provide
a great opportunity to assist our local schools as they
achieve their energy efficiency goals and increase the
sustainability of a valued community resource.
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Wind Storm 2015
On Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, a National Weather Service-
predicted wind storm hit eastern Washington, northern
Idaho and western Montana. By 3:00 p.m. that day,
Avista customers began to experience outages due to
downed power lines and blown transformers.
The near hurricane-force winds progressed through the
afternoon and evening, before lessening around
midnight. By that time, 178,210 Avista customers
(nearly half of the customers we serve) were without
electric service, making it the largest service crisis we
have ever experienced.
Avista normally maintains 28 crews in service across our
entire organization. Additional contract crews arrived on
the scene within a day of the windstorm event, and after
six days, 132 crews were deployed to restore power
to customers.
Electricity wasn’t the only energy source affected by the
windstorm. Natural gas operations in Spokane and
Coeur d’Alene received 73 trouble orders from late
Tuesday to Wednesday morning. Uprooting trees
ruptured and exposed natural gas lines, and gas meters
were damaged by falling trees. Over 30 Avista
employees worked throughout the night to secure the
natural gas system and ensure public safety.
Avista communication teams managed 174 inquiries
from local, regional and national media outlets, including
NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox news, in addition to the
Associated Press (Washington, D.C.) and the Seattle
Times; and handled 75 Facebook posts, 4,750 post
responses, and 8,250 direct messages, with a total
Facebook reach of over 1.5 million readers.
Online outage maps were continually updated showing
where power was out and where it had been restored.
837,767 customer visits were made to the outage maps.
In total, the Avista Utilities website handled 3.6 million
minutes (that’s 60,000 hours) of customer engagement,
keeping people informed through the largest crisis in
Avista’s 126-year history.
More than 300 Avista employee volunteers from 90
different organizational units were trained and mobilized
to work around the clock throughout the restoration
effort, helping in any capacity necessary. At least 50
Avista volunteers in non-critical positions worked with
other community volunteers going door-to-door in areas
hardest hit by the windstorm to check on vulnerable
customers without power to ensure that they were
OK or helped them receive the resources they needed
to stay safe.
Avista pledged more than $94,000 to fund shelters and
warming centers and to provide emergency food and
other emergency services, including home repairs as part
of the service restoration process. As the restoration
stretched into the Thanksgiving holiday, 45 Avista
volunteers assisted in a local television station’s Turkey
Drive, where Avista provided 1,000 meals to people in
need. 3,000 customers who were expected to be
without power on Thanksgiving Day received grocery
store gift cards from Avista in recognition of their
hardship and to thank them for their perseverance.
The environmental impact of the windstorm was
substantial, with 241 transformers recovered, 119
environmental spill site locations cleaned-up, with
zero penalties or violations cited.
It took more than 30,000 man-hours to restore power
under extremely demanding conditions. Overall, 482
poles were set, 60 miles of transmission wire was
installed, and 6,823 insulators replaced.
The repair, restoration and communication work of
Avista employees was unprecedented. It showed us how
effective our planning, technologies, support, logistics,
safety procedures and communications could be.
Avista is grateful for our dedicated team, our patient
and understanding customers, and the resourceful
communities we serve, who helped one another through
the aftermath of this devastating wind storm.
On Nov. 17, 2015, a National
Weather Service-predicted wind
storm hit eastern Washington,
northern Idaho and western
Montana. By 3:00 p.m. that day,
Avista customers began
experiencing power outages due
to downed power lines and
blown transformers.
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Inside Our Operations
AVISTA CORP. TOTAL ANNUAL REVENUE
Organizational Profile
Selected Company Statistics (as of Dec. 31, 2015)
AVISTA CORP. NET INCOME
AVISTA UTILITIES NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES POPULATION OF SERVICE AREA
$1,484,776,000 $123,227,000
1,711
NUMBER OF CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS
COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL NATURAL GAS
RESIDENTIAL — ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL — ELECTRIC
RESIDENTIAL — NATURAL GAS
327,235 42,649
296,00534,490
1.6 million
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Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is an essential element in all we do
at Avista. From our Call Center representatives who seek
to provide answers in 60 seconds or less to the line
workers and servicemen in the field and from finance to
environmental, every Avista employee has an impact on
our interactions with customers. We set clear customer
satisfaction goals for our company, have established
metrics for tracking this and provide our employees the
tools needed to be successful.
One way we measure customer satisfaction is through a
quarterly survey — “Voice of the Customer” — to
measure and track the satisfaction of customers who
have contact with Avista through the Call Center and/or
work performed through an Avista construction office.
Customers are asked to rate the importance of several
key service attributes (time for connection to a
representative, representative being courteous and
friendly, representative being knowledgeable, being
informed of job status, leaving property in condition
found, etc.) and then to rate Avista’s performance with
respect to the same attributes. Customers are also asked
to rate their satisfaction with the overall service received
from Avista. Customer verbatim comments are also
captured and recorded. Customer satisfaction
ratings have exceeded 90 percent in each of
the past 16 years.
A Diverse Generation Mix
Avista uses different kinds of fuel to produce the
electricity that powers the lives and businesses of our
customers. The company maintains a diversified
generation portfolio, including hydroelectric, biomass,
natural gas, coal and wind that is a combination of
Avista-owned generating facilities and long-term
contracts. We choose a diverse energy mix that is the
foundation for providing our customers with clean,
reliable power at fair, reasonable prices. Making
decisions about the energy mix must balance reliability,
cost and the environment.
HYDRO (40% Avista & 8% Contracts)
NATURAL GAS (35%)
COAL (9%)
WIND (6%)
BIOMASS (2%)
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The company complies with renewable portfolio
standards set out in Washington’s Energy Independence
Act (EIA) by using qualified renewable resources,
renewable energy credits (RECs) or a combination of
both to meet the following annual targets: 9 percent of
energy used to meet customer load in Washington by
Jan. 1, 2016 and 15 percent by Jan. 1, 2020. Avista met
the 2015 targets with qualifying hydroelectric upgrades.
In addition, to meet future requirements, we helped
facilitate a change to the EIA in 2012 to qualify energy
generated from biomass at our Kettle Falls plant
beginning in 2016.
Electric and Magnetic Fields —
a Public Health Discussion
As Avista prepares to join many other utilities across the
country and deploy advanced meters in Washington,
some people may wonder whether or not exposure to
the electromagnetic fields (EMF) associated with radio
frequencies (RF) emitted by wireless smart grid
technologies pose health risks. It’s important to
understand that we now live in a wireless world.
Many devices emit RF transmission in our homes, public
buildings and private businesses, so we’re exposed to
these EMF fields in varying intensity all day long.
Based on current research, Avista is confident that the
advanced metering and other smart technologies do
not pose additional safety or health hazards to
our customers.
The advanced metering equipment is installed outside
the home. The RF power level of advanced meters is
comparable to and in most cases significantly lower than
those used by many common wireless devices, such as
cell phones, baby monitors, garage door openers,
wireless routers (Wi-Fi), cordless telephones or other
common electronic devices inside homes today. The RF
level of advanced meters also falls well below state and
federal safety standards, including the exposure
standards for wireless devices adopted in 1996 by the
Federal Communications Commission. Avista is
committed to providing safe and reliable electric service
for our customers and a safe work environment for
our employees.
What are the implications of the
resource for our environment?
Our diverse energy mix is why Avista is
ranked by the National Resource Defense
Council in its “Benchmarking Air Emissions
of the 100 Largest Electric Power
Producers in the United States” as one
of the cleanest utilities when it comes
to greenhouse gases.
What role does the resource play in
making sure the power is there when
customers expect? The wind is not
always blowing, the sun is not always
shining, and hydroelectric output changes
throughout the year.
Reliability Cost Environment
What role does the resource play in
customer rates? Some resources are
more expensive than others. Having a
diverse energy mix also allows us to keep
electricity rates as low as possible by
providing flexibility to shift between
generating resources when it makes
economic sense.
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Serving Our Customers with Natural Gas
The natural gas pipeline replacement program currently underway is a result of Avista’s commitment to maintain a safe
and reliable natural gas pipeline system. Over the life of the 20-year program, we will replace approximately 737 miles
of natural gas pipeline, which was installed prior to 1987. In addition, we are performing preventative maintenance on
service taps through a structured replacement program in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. These kinds of stepped
programs help control impacts to neighborhoods and manage construction resources more effectively than simply
repairing leaks as they occur or are discovered through annual leak surveys.
Avista provides natural gas services to more
than 330,000 customers in eastern
Washington, northern Idaho and parts of
southern and eastern Oregon and maintains
7,700 miles of natural gas distribution pipeline
on behalf of the communities and residences
throughout our service area.
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 22 of 115
21
Pullman
Clarkston
La Grande
Moscow
Lewiston
Grangeville
Kettle Falls Sandpoint
Klamath Falls
Medford
OthelloOlympia
Salem
Boise
Goldendale
Roseburg
Stevenson
HelenaMissoula
Portland
Seattle
AVISTA SERVICE TERRITORY
Electric and Natural Gas
Natural GasAEL&P SERVICE TERRITORY
Electric
Juneau
Sitka
Anchorage
Ketchikan
Coeur d’ Alene
Noxon
Spokane
OREGON IDAHO
ALASKA
WASHINGTON
MONTANA
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 23 of 115
22
The 2015 Electric Integrated Resource Plan
Over the next 20 years, Avista anticipates adding almost
90,000 retail customers with a 0.6 percent annual
growth in electric demand.
The utility plans to meet this growth with a mix of new
natural gas-fired generation resources, efficiency
upgrades at existing generation facilities and various
energy efficiency measures.
The IRP describes strategies to meet projected energy
demand and renewable portfolio standards through
energy efficiency and a careful mix of energy resources.
This plan helps us balance meeting customers’ needs for
safe, reliable energy with satisfying renewable portfolio
standards over the next 20 years. The plan calls for
Avista to continue system upgrades and improvements
to deliver energy to our customers efficiently and reliably.
It calls for Avista to obtain new resources in a responsible
and environmentally sound manner and at a reasonable
cost to our customers. Each IRP is a thoroughly
researched and data-driven document to guide
responsible resource planning for the utility. The IRP is
updated every two years and looks 20 years into
the future.
Avista’s 2015 electric IRP was filed with the
Washington and Idaho state commissions
on August 31, 2015. Highlights of the
plan include:
• Population and employment growth is starting to
recover from the Great Recession.
• Natural gas-fired plants represent the largest portion
of generation potential.
• The first anticipated resource acquisition is a natural
gas-fired peaker by the end of 2020 to replace
expiring contracts and to serve load growth.
• Colstrip remains a cost effective and reliable source of
power to meet future customer needs.
• Energy efficiency offsets more than half of the
projected load growth through the 20-year timeframe.
The 2015 Preferred Resource Strategy
The 2015 Preferred Resource Strategy (PRS) is a plan for
a mix of additional energy efficiency, upgrades at
existing generation and distribution facilities and new
natural gas-fired generation. A contract for the power
from the Palouse Wind project located near Oakesdale,
in southeast Washington, and the addition of Kettle Falls
as a qualified renewable energy facility, will fulfill Avista’s
PRS obligations through the end of this IRP. Avista’s first
thermal acquisition would be a natural gas-fired peaking
plant in 2020; total natural gas-fired acquisitions from
new and upgraded resources is expected to be 565 MW
over the IRP timeframe. The 2015 plan splits natural gas-
fired generation between simple and combined cycle
plants in anticipation of a growing need for system
flexibility to integrate variable resources such as wind.
Estimated total capital needs for generation resources in
the PRS are $682 million over the next 20 years.
Conservation and system efficiency spending will
increase over time; a total of $459 million will acquire
125 aMW over 20 years.
The 2017 Electric Integrated Resource Plan
The 2017 Electric IRP is currently in process and will be
published in August 2017. It will be available on our
website at www.avistautilities.com/inside/resources/irp/
electric/Pages/default.aspx
Resource Planning
Avista’s biennial Integrated Resource Plans (IRP) for
electric and natural gas services guides the utility’s
resource acquisition strategies and the overall
direction of resource procurements for a 20-year
planning horizon. It is a key part of how we plan for
and determine how to meet the future energy
needs of our customers.
The IRPs provide a snapshot of the company’s
resources and forecasted loads and guidance
regarding resource needs and acquisitions. Avista’s
management, along with stakeholders from the
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), play a key role
in guiding the development of the IRP. TAC
members include customers, commission staff,
consumer advocates, academics, utility peers,
government agencies, environmental groups and
other interested parties. The TAC provides
significant input on modeling, resource assumptions
and the general direction of the planning process.
Public participation is an important part of the IRP
development process. The experience of this group
provides a robust forum for the exchange of ideas
and discussion of issues and risks that affect the
planning process.
Regulators in Washington, Idaho and Oregon
ensure that reliability, environmental impact,
conservation, efficiency, and cost are factored into
our forecasting and ultimately the decisions we
make on behalf of our customers.
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23
The 2014 Natural Gas Integrated
Resource Plan
The IRP for our natural gas operations was filed in
August of 2014. The IRP identifies a strategic natural gas
resource portfolio that includes both supply-side and
demand-side resources to meet customer’s needs for the
next 20 years in a safe, reliable and least-cost manner
considering multiple levels of uncertainty. To meet this
goal, our philosophy is to develop a plan that
incorporates an appropriate balance of price certainty
and prudent cost management utilizing our portfolio of
supply contracts, storage and firm pipeline capacity
rights. We work collaboratively with our Technical
Advisory Committee (TAC), which is comprised of
members from regulatory staff, industry stakeholders,
customers, peer utilities, and company representatives
from several departments.
Avista’s 2014 natural gas IRP was filed with
the Washington, Idaho and Oregon state
commissions on Aug. 29, 2014. Highlights
of the plan include:
• Avista has sufficient natural gas resources to meet
customer needs well into the future.
• There is no expected resource need in Washington,
Idaho or Oregon during the 20 year planning horizon.
• Demand continues to be lower than previous plans,
driven by lagging economic recovery and declining use
per customer across our service territory.
• This prolonged flat demand poses a risk that should
load growth increase sooner or greater than expected
the need for additional resources would accelerate.
• The long-term forecasted price of natural gas remains
relatively low, and while this is good for customers, it
challenges the cost-effectiveness of natural gas
demand side management programs.
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24
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programs
Avista has more than 30 years of experience in offering Demand Side Management
(DSM) or energy efficiency programs, creating shared value for our residential,
commercial/industrial and limited-income customers.
To our customers, DSM means managing energy use from the customer side of the
meter. For Avista, it also means implementing programs that help customers use less
energy as well as ways Avista can generate energy, through better equipment and
processes. DSM also involves much, much more. It’s how we plan, implement, measure
and monitor energy efficiency as a way to ensure it’s being used wisely.
At Avista, we make choices everyday about the best and most affordable source of
energy to deliver to our customers. Energy efficiency gives us one more choice—and
one that is lower cost. This is why it is an important element of our Integrated Resource
Plan as we look to the future.
Our approach to energy efficiency is based on two key principles: to pursue cost-
effective electric and natural gas energy savings by offering financial incentives for
limited qualifying energy saving measures, and to use the most effective means to
deliver energy efficiency services to customers. These mechanisms are varied and
include:
• Prescriptive programs or “standard offers” such as high efficiency equipment rebates;
• Site-specific or “customized” analyses at commercial and industrial customer
premises;
• “Market transformational”, or regional, efforts with other utilities;
• Low-income weatherization services through local Community Action Agencies;
• Robust multichannel communication efforts to build awareness of programs and low-
cost/no-cost advice.
Avista has more than 30
years of experience in
offering Demand Side
Management (DSM) or
energy efficiency programs,
creating shared value for
our residential, commercial/
industrial and limited-
income customers.
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25
Washington and Idaho DSM Programs
and Outcomes
Avista’s DSM services provide energy efficiency programs
to the company’s Washington electric and natural gas
customers and Idaho electric customers funded through
the DSM Tariff Rider. Avista’s DSM programs delivered
51.3 MWh and nearly 920,000 therms in efficiency
savings in 2015. This achieved 91 percent of the
company’s electric Integrated Resource Planning (IRP)
goal and 61 percent of Avista’s natural gas IRP goal. In
2015, Avista made a request with the utility commission
in Idaho to resume natural gas energy efficiency
programs, effective in 2016.
Approximately 64 percent of the 2015 local program
expenditures of $19.4 million were returned to
customers in the form of rebates toward energy
efficiency measures installed.
In addition to these local programs, Avista funds regional
programs, in partnership with other utilities, through the
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) to deliver
additional savings to the company’s customers. Including
NEEA funds, 2015 energy efficiency funding was over
$21.5 million. We work in partnership with our Advisory
Group, which is comprised of a wide variety of industry
and regulatory professionals, and the dedication of
experienced, talented and professional staff.
During 2015, nearly 7,400 rebates for residential energy
efficiency projects were processed benefiting
approximately 4,500 households. Over $6.5 million in
rebates were provided directly to residential customers to
offset the cost of implementing energy efficiency
upgrades. Residential programs, including third party
vendor programs, contributed 26.3 MWh and
approximately 357,000 therms in energy savings.
For non-residential customers, the company processed
approximately 980 energy efficiency project submissions
in 2015, resulting in the payment of $5.9 million in
rebates paid directly to customers to offset the cost of
their energy efficiency projects. These projects
contributed 25.0 MWh and over 563,000 therms
in savings.
Oregon DSM Programs and Outcomes
Avista provides only natural gas to customers in our
Oregon service territory. The company’s DSM portfolio is
divided between four segments: residential
weatherization, residential equipment, low income
weatherization and commercial/light industrial. Of the
total DSM goal, residential weatherization is 9 percent,
residential equipment is 38 percent, low income
weatherization is 3 percent and commercial/light
industrial is 50 percent. The 2015 target from the
Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) called for savings of
161,000 therms. The combined results for all programs
totaled 207,036 therms — a 7.8 percent increase over
2014 results and approximately 28.6 percent over the
2015 IRP goal. Approximately 62.2 percent of Avista’s
2015 DSM expenditures were returned to customers in
the form of direct incentive payments. In addition,
program participants received the benefits of over
$66,000 in commercial and residential energy audits,
which raises the value of the return to customers to
65.2 percent.
Energy Efficiency In Avista’s Facilities
Avista practices energy conservation and efficiency in our
buildings and facilities. The focus of these efforts is to
reduce energy consumption and manage energy costs
while providing comfort to building occupants. Over the
last few years, Avista has made great strides in improving
energy efficiency and reducing annual energy usage in
our facilities through a number of different projects.
Some of these projects have included:
• Lighting retrofit projects in a number of areas to
reduce kWh usage and take advantage of more
efficient lighting fixtures;
• Replacing aging HVAC systems to improve energy
efficiency and take advantage of the controls that new
technology offers; and
• Upgrading to high efficiency windows, providing
better insulation and helping to reduce heat gain in
the summer months.
Approximately 64 percent of the 2015 local
program expenditures of $19.4 million were
returned to customers in the form of rebates
toward energy efficiency measures installed.
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26
Distributed Generation: Solar
Avista is embracing the opportunities that distributed
generation brings for our customers and the utility.
One area that reflects this is our efforts around solar
generation in 2015.
Solar Concierge
In 2015, we implemented functionality on our website
that allows customers to evaluate the feasibility of
rooftop solar on their premises. This tool helps customers
compare the cost of service from Avista to costs of
rooftop solar, incorporating state and federal incentives
that are available for such installations.
Community Solar
In 2015, we installed a community solar project in
Spokane, Washington that allows Avista’s Washington
residential customers to participate in solar and receive
bill credits to offset their energy use while also helping
the environment and supporting Washington’s
renewable energy initiatives.
The Movement Toward Distributed Generation
The utility industry has seen broad adoption of
distributed generation, with the majority of that being
rooftop solar installations. Adoption rates vary
throughout the United States. In Avista’s service territory,
less than 500 customers (or about 0.1%) have
distributed generation installed. The relatively low
adoption rate in Avista’s service territory, and across the
Pacific Northwest more broadly, is primarily attributed to
the lower utility retail rates in the region and the less
favorable solar profile that exists. Avista recognizes the
potential opportunities and risks associated with further
penetration of distributed generation and is evaluating
opportunities with respect to solar generation.
In our Integrated Resource Plan, which is filed every two
years, we evaluate distributed, community, and grid-
scale solar as an alternative to other more traditional
sources of generation. We also consider how growing
adoption of rooftop solar could impact our customers’
consumption patterns in the future. We will continue to
monitor and assess how changes in the costs of solar
generation, changes in federal and state incentives,
changes in customer preferences related to solar
generation, and changes in our retail rates impact the
viability of solar generation as a resource at the premise,
community, and utility-scale levels, and our Integrated
Resource Plan will reflect that analysis going forward.
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27
In 2015, we implemented functionality on our
website that allows customers to evaluate the
feasibility of rooftop solar on their premises.
This tool helps customers compare the cost of
service from Avista to costs of rooftop solar,
incorporating state and federal incentives that
are available for such installations.
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28WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 30 of 115
29
Supply Chain
Avista is committed to maximizing the value created
through timely and effective supply chain services to
meet our needs and the needs of the customers and
communities we serve. We strive to ensure a competitive
contracting environment while developing strong
partnerships with our suppliers.
We engage with suppliers who meet our requirements,
with a particular interest in their capabilities, price and
the overall value they provide for our organization and
customers. We focus on building and maintaining
diverse supplier relationships, keeping things local
when possible and providing opportunities for our
contractors to develop their capabilities that align
with our business needs.
Avista’s Supplier Recognition Program was created in
2015 to annually recognize our top performing suppliers
in a formal way. We have approximately 30 companies
that have been selected to participate in Avista’s supplier
scorecard program and each has the potential to earn a
“top performer” designation via their official scorecard
results. Each spring, one contractor, supplier and
professional service provider receive an engraved
commemorative hardwood plaque to affirm Avista’s
genuine appreciation of outstanding service and
performance. The primary goal of this endeavor is to
highlight specific areas of accomplishment as well as
demonstrate the significant value of aligned goals and
the required collaborative efforts to attain them.
IN 2015 WE SPENT$161,082,866
34.13%or
AND SERVICES SPEND
IN OUR COMMUNITY
OF OUR TOTAL GOODS
IN 2015 WAS$18,311,418
3.77%or
SERVICES TOTAL SPENDOF OUR GOODS AND
DIVERSITY SPEND
29WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 31 of 115
30
Engaging Our Stakeholders
Identification of Stakeholders
Avista engages a diverse array of stakeholders,
in different settings, depending on the specific need or
business context. Effective stakeholder engagement
improves our business decisions and our overall
performance. Our stakeholders include residential,
commercial and industrial customers; investors, financial
analysts, credit rating and financial institutions; active
and retired employees; residents of the communities
we serve and those of neighboring cities and towns;
non-profit and low income advocates; environmental
groups; federal and state regulators; vendors; elected
officials; media channels; and other companies in the
energy industry.
Approaches to Stakeholder Engagement
Across the company, Avista values the interaction
we have with our stakeholders. Some of these
interactions are:
• Issue-Focused Meetings with key groups e.g.
Technical Advisory Committees, Energy Efficiency
Advisory Group, regulatory hearings, community town
hall meetings, etc.;
• Customer Outreach with Two-Way
Communications — issue-focused emails, social
media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Avista blog),
listening posts, focus groups, surveys, community
meetings, print and electronic media channels,
electronic and print newsletters, bill stuffers, call-in
information lines, etc.;
• Customer Satisfaction Surveys — asking 1,600
residential and business customers each year who
have completed a transaction with the company to
report on components of the interaction as well as
Avista works with federal and
state agencies, conservation
organizations, and area tribes
to bring a variety of
perspectives and interests to
the table in implementing
federal and state mandated
environmental measures
associated with our dams
on the Spokane and Clark
Fork rivers.
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 32 of 115
31
their overall satisfaction. In addition, we subscribe to
J.D. Power for customer satisfaction information, and
Avista conducts an annual survey to assess perceptions
and attitudes about the company.
• Regular Meetings with Media Editors and Staff to
discuss industry and utility issues and a commitment
to rapidly responding to media inquiries.
Key Topics Raised by Stakeholders
Customers have told us their key concerns include power
outages and restoration, energy pricing, customer
service and executive compensation. We have developed
a comprehensive, multi-channel customer
communication program which is intended to provide
more information about these topics and increase
customers’ awareness of the rate-making process, rate
components, energy efficiency, energy assistance,
ongoing investments we make in our infrastructure and
what Avista is doing to manage our costs.
community groups and customers. For our energy
planning and infrastructure development, the electric
and natural gas Technical Advisory Committees (TACs)
provide opportunities for input from three main groups
of stakeholders. These groups include 1) those who
provide technical input and review of the resource
options, modeling and results (utility commission staff,
other utilities, academics and consultants); 2) those who
have an interest in a particular aspect of our Integrated
Resource Plan (environmental groups, resource
developers and government agencies); and 3) members
from regional planning organizations (Northwest Power
and Conservation Council).
In addition, we are in partnership with our energy
efficiency Advisory Group which is comprised of a wide
variety of industry and regulatory professionals, as well
as Avista staff members. This group advises us on
planning and implementing a broad range of energy
efficiency programs.
Stakeholder Participation in Decision
Making for Energy Planning and
Infrastructure Development
We seek out and encourage stakeholder involvement in
our activities on a regular basis on a variety of issues,
including transmission and distribution projects,
implementing vegetation management programs and
the requirements of our hydroelectric licenses.
Avista works with federal and state agencies,
conservation organizations, and area tribes to bring a
variety of perspectives and interests to the table in
implementing federal and state mandated environmental
measures associated with our dams on the Spokane and
Clark Fork rivers.
Representatives of federal and state agencies address
issues such as water quality, endangered species and fish
passage. Tribal representatives are concerned with
protecting the area’s cultural and natural resources.
Other stakeholders represent local non-profits,
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32
Business Continuity Planning
Avista operates in a part of the country where heavy
snows, ice storms, fire storms, volcanoes, floods and
earthquakes are genuine probabilities. In addition to
these natural threats to normal business operations,
Avista must also consider possible man-made threats
such as sabotage, terrorism and cyber-related issues.
To ensure our continued utility and business operations,
we have implemented an enterprise incident
management response program.
Our incident response, business continuity and
disaster recovery plans are designed to safeguard life
and property.
They are also designed to provide for the restoration of
electric and natural gas services and the continuation of
business functions critical to the support of Avista
operations in case of natural disasters, accidents or other
realized threats to the company.
Incident Management
Avista has formally adopted and implemented the
Incident Command System (ICS) as the means by which
all emergencies will be managed. In recent years, the ICS
methodology has been widely adopted across many
utilities and is required among local, state and federal
agencies. Use of this standardized incident management
process ensures Avista is better prepared for and better
positioned for rapid response, restoration and recovery
during an interruption, whether a service outage or a
disruption to business. Avista is also able to integrate
with local emergency responders as well as partner
utilities under the ICS framework.
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33
Emergency Operating Plan (EOP)
Avista has developed Emergency Operating Plans (EOPs)
to respond to varying types of incidents from utility
outages, cyber security breaches and internal incidents
such as fires, or other unplanned emergencies. Each EOP
aligns with the use of ICS. These plans are designed to
enable Avista operations to successfully respond to an
emergency or severe disruption, resuming operations in
a timely and orderly fashion. Emergency response
activities are focused on responding to the initial event
and subsequent impacts in an effort to prevent further
damage to life, property, and the environment, and to
stabilize the situation by activating recovery and back-up
processes and procedures. The plans are exercised
regularly. During the major windstorm in November
2015, Avista activated the EOP for major storm response
and this served as an effective way to manage
operations until all customers were restored to power.
Enterprise Business Continuity Program (EBCP)
Avista has developed an Enterprise Business Continuity
Program (EBCP) to facilitate and administer emergency
operating plans, business continuity and disaster
recovery plans and activities simultaneously across
multiple departments in response to any scope of
disruption to normal business operations. It serves as the
governing structure for the coordination of Avista’s EOPs
during an emergency response situation, using ICS for
enhanced coordination, planning and response
execution. Business continuity and disaster recovery
activities may occur concurrently with the emergency
response activities of the EOPs and are focused on
sustaining Avista’s critical business processes.
Our EBCP ensures that emergency response activities
occur in a coordinated and timely fashion, maximizing
resources and reducing further disruption to normal
business operations.
Emergency Action Plans (EAPs)
Even though the probability of a major structural
emergency at any Avista hydroelectric facility is remote,
we have developed Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) to
help ensure public safety at our hydroelectric facilities.
The plans are designed to minimize potential dangers to
people and property downstream of the dams. Based on
computer simulations of catastrophic failures at each
site, the EAPs provide guidelines for notification and
early warning in the event of an actual or potential dam
breach. Each EAP is evaluated annually and exercised
and revised every five years.
Business Continuity Plans
Avista prepares and regularly updates Business
Continuity Plans (BCP) for its critical business functions.
The BCPs include incident response, crisis
communications and business specific recovery
procedures.
Disaster Recovery
Avista has established system and data backup and
recovery capabilities to support the recovery of critical
business functions.
Exercising the Plans
Avista exercises its Business Continuity Plans and
conducts testing of the disaster recovery site and
strategy annually.
Alternate Facilities/Work Area Recovery
Strategy
Avista has implemented an alternate facilities recovery
strategy as part of the EBCP to support the relocation of
staff and resumption of business should one or more
facilities be impacted by an event.
Enterprise Business Continuity
Program Management
Avista employs a cross-section of subject matter experts,
including a Certified Business Continuity Professional,
that participate in the maintenance, exercise and review
of the program and specific plan elements to ensure
that Avista maintains the highest standards for
business continuity.
Board of Directors Updates
The EBCP objectives and results are reported to the
board of directors annually.
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34
Utility Opertions — By the numbers
Installed Capacity, Generation Capability
Net Energy Output by Primary Energy Source
Present Generating Nameplate Rating Net Energy
Capability (MW) (Installed Capacity) (MW) Output (MWh)
Hydro Projects
Upper Falls 10.2 10.0 38,000
Monroe Street 15.0 14.8 84,000
Nine Mile 17.5 26.4 67,000
Post Falls 18.0 14.8 73,000
Little Falls 35.2 32.0 148,000
Long Lake 89.0 81.6 394,000
Cabinet Gorge 270.5 265.2 995,000
Noxon Rapids 610.0 518.0 1,635,000
Total Hydro 1,065.4 962.8 3,434,000
Thermal Projects
Kettle Falls GS 50.0 50.7 321,000
Kettle Falls CT 6.9 7.2 4,000
Boulder Park 24.0 24.6 22,000
Coyote Springs 2 278.3 287 1,892,000
Northeast CT 56.3 61.8 1,000
Rathdrum CT 149.0 166.5 53,000
Colstrip Units 3 & 4 222.0 233.4 1,690,000
Total Thermal 786.5 831.2 3,983,000
Total Generation Properties 1,851.9 1,794.0 7,417,000
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 36 of 115
35
Plant Name Energy Source Heat Rate (Btu/kWh)
Boulder Park Natural Gas 9,025
Colstrip Units 3 & 4 Coal 11,950
Coyote Springs 2 Natural Gas 6,730
Kettle Falls Biomass 13,500
Kettle Fall CT Natural Gas 8,750
Northeast Natural Gas 12,825
Rathdrum Natural Gas 11,950
2015 Average Plant Availability by Energy Source
Plant Energy Source 2015 Availability
Boulder Park* Natural gas 90.1%
Colstrip Units 3 & 4 Coal 94.3%
Coyote Springs 2 Natural Gas 95.1%
Kettle Falls Biomass 87.3%
Kettle Falls CT Natural gas 96.6%
Rathdrum* Natural Gas 96.0%
Northeast CT* Natural gas 96.0%
*Peaker unit — used only in times of significant energy demand
Average Generation Efficiency of Thermal Plants by Energy Source
Thermal generation is approximately 44 percent of Avista’s total generation capability.
Each facility has a specific purpose in Avista’s diversified generation portfolio — whether
it is for economic or load demand efficiencies.
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 37 of 115
36
Electric Miles
Transmission Lines
230kV 685
115kV 1,565
500kV 500
Distribution lines 19,000
Natural Gas Miles
Natural gas distribution mains 7,700
Avista does not own any interstate natural gas transportation pipelines,
only contractual rights, and receives natural gas at over 60 points along
interestate pipelines.
Electric And Natural Gas Loads
Electric average hourly load (aMW) 1,047
Peak electric native load (aMW)
Summer (retail) 1,638
Winter (retail) 1,529
Peak natural gas day demand (Dth) 241,164
Length of Above and Underground Transmission and Distribution Lines
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 38 of 115
37
Plant 2015 Annual Water Use Discharge Per NPDES* Permit
Boulder Park — Natural Gas Domestic use only Zero discharge facility
Colstrip Units 3 & 4 — Coal 5.0 billion gallons Zero discharge facility
Coyote Springs 2 — Natural gas CT 34.4 million gallons Port of Morrow, Ore. discharge
Kettle Falls — Biomass/Natural Gas 273 million gallons 57.2 million gallons
Northeast — Natural Gas Domestic use only Zero discharge facility
Rathdrum — Natural Gas Domestic use only Zero discharge facility
* National Pollution Discharge Elimination System
Reliability
2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
Average outage restoration
time (minutes) 155 125 132 121 108
Average outages per customer 1.05 1.11 1.05 1.14 1.48
Total Water Discharge by Quality and Destination — Thermal Generation
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 39 of 115
38
Direct and Indirect Energy Consumption of Thermal Generating Resources
Source Fuel Equity/Control Total Units Gigajoules
Kettle Falls Boiler Wood 100% 433,546.00 Tons 3,891,029.83
Colstrip Units 3 & 4 Coal 15% 1,063,105.00 Tons 19,110,574.01
Colstrip Units 3 & 4 Oil 15% 1,768.00 Bbl 10,976.66
Rathdrum Natural Gas 100% 627.07 MMscf 680,641.15
Northeast Natural Gas 100% 13.83 MMscf 15,015.90
Boulder Park Natural Gas 100% 200.973 MMscf 218,143.00
Coyote Springs 2 Natural Gas 100% 12,834.12 MMscf 13,930,594.83
Kettle Falls Combustion
Turbine (CT) Natural Gas 100% 4.73 MMscf 5,131.93
2015 Preferred Resource Strategy
Resource By the End of Year Nameplate (MW) Energy (MW)
Natural Gas-Fired Peaker 2020 96 89
Thermal Upgrades 2021-2025 38 35
Combined Cycle CT 2026 286 265
Natural Gas-Fired Peaker 2027 96 89
Thermal Upgrades 2033 3 3
Natural Gas-Fired Peaker 2034 47 43
Total 566 524
Efficiency Improvement By the End of Year Peak Reduction Energy (aMW)
Energy Efficiency 2016-2035 193 132
Distribution Efficiencies <1 <1
Total 193 132
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 40 of 115
39
Public Safety
Dig-Ins 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
Locates 103,574 99,635 92,190 80,629 69,547
Dig-Ins to Avista
Underground Gas Lines 474 514 494 517 550
Goal of Number/1,000 Locates 5.36 6 6 7.1 8.26
Actual Number/1,000 Locates 4.6 5.2 5.4 6.4 7.9
National Average 2.99 3.4 3.2 3.8 3.7
Energy Efficiency — Avista Facilities — Spokane, WA
Electric (kWh) Use Reduction
kW
h
(
i
n
t
h
o
u
s
a
n
d
s
)
900,000
800,00
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Avista has achieved efficiencies and reduction of electric use in its facilities over time. In 2013,
electric use did not decline as much as years past due to the operation of a new warehouse
and utilization of previous warehouse space, which increased the heating and cooling load.
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 41 of 115
40
Energy Efficiency Programs — Customer Savings
Washington/Idaho 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
Electric (kWh Saved)
Residential 26.3 million 43.5 million 13.5 million 18.8 million 12.8 million
Non-Residential 25.0 million 24.4 million 45.2 million 59.1 million 49 million
Natural Gas (Therms Saved)
Residential 356,549 429,416 255,211 440,000 911,811
Non-Residential 563,343 261,888 337,939 400,000 975,704
2015 OPUC Target Achieved Savings % of
Oregon (Therms) (Therms) Target
Existing Residential
State-Mandated Weatherization 20,000 18,007 90%
Prescriptive Residential Equipment 61,000 86,058 141%
Residential DSM Portfolio Total 81,000 104,065 128%
Existing Commercial/Industrial
Commercial/Industrial DSM 80,000 102,971 129%
Grand Total 161,000 207,036 129%
2014 OPUC Target Achieved Savings % of
Oregon (Therms) (Therms) Target
Existing Residential
State-Mandated Weatherization 60,000 25,901 43%
Prescriptive Residential Equipment 90,000 80,697 90%
Residential DSM Portfolio Total 150,000 106,598 71%
Existing Commercial/Industrial
Commercial/Industrial DSM 100,000 85,471 85%
Grand Total 250,000 192,069 77%
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 42 of 115
41
Energy Efficiency Programs — Customer Savings
2013 OPUC Target Achieved Savings % of
Oregon (Therms) (Therms) Target
Previous Residential
State-Mandated Weatherization 76,257 62,382 82%
Prescriptive Residential Equipment 49,996 83,189 166%
Residential DSM Portfolio Total 126,253 145,571 115%
Previous Commercial/Industrial
Commercial/Industrial DSM 98,746 71,606 73%
Grand Total 224,999 217,177 97%
2012 IRP Target Achieved Savings % of
Oregon (Therms) (Therms) Target
Previous Residential
State-Mandated Weatherization 98,402 85,771 87%
Prescriptive Residential Equipment 98,402 98,355 100%
Residential DSM Portfolio Total 196,804 184,126 94%
Previous Commercial/Industrial
Commercial/Industrial DSM 119,998 93,276 78%
Grand Total 316,792 277,402 88%
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42
Environmental Stewardship
It means we are responsible in our operations and strive to protect and enhance the
environment. It is a commitment that has been integral to our operations since we were
founded on the banks of the Spokane River in 1889.
The conversation about being green or sustainable isn’t new, but it continues to be a
complex issue throughout the energy industry. Our approach today is consistent with
the way we’ve done things for over a century.
For Avista, environmental
stewardship means
conducting our business
in ways that honor the
integrity of the natural
resources in the areas
we serve.
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43
Strive
At Avista, we:
Invest
Listen
Promote
Protect
Connect
to surpass environmental laws and regulations in practicing
practical stewardship in the best interest of the environment and
our communities.
to and collaborate with our stakeholders. We serve as a
convener, partner and participant when addressing
environmental issues and adapt to be effective.
in technology that supports a clean energy future and aligns with
customer expectations. You’ll read more about our community solar
project and developments with electric vehicles and compressed
natural gas serving fleet.
people to natural resources through education about
recreation opportunities, outreach about how to stay
safe in the water and around dams, and by increasing
and improving public access to the rivers.
wildlife and fish in the areas we serve
through fish passage efforts, restoring and
conserving habitat, and more.
water quality to support habitat and benefit
all those who use and rely on our rivers.
43WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 45 of 115
44
Community Solar Program Opens
Solar Generation to Washington
Electric Customers
In May, 2015, Avista announced plans to partner with
Colorado-based community solar developer Clean
Energy Collective (CEC) to construct a 425 kW
community solar site at Avista’s Boulder Park property
located in the City of Spokane Valley. In October 2015,
Avista hosted a grand opening and ribbon cutting,
celebrating the completion of the building of the solar
array and the panels being online and serving customers.
The 1,512 panel installation allows upwards of 500
residential and commercial customers, selected through
lottery, to participate in solar energy. The Avista
Community Solar program is open to all Avista
Washington electric retail customers. Residential and
non-residential customers who rent or lease their
properties or those with shaded roofs now have an
option to buy solar through the subscription of panels.
This model furthers Avista’s efforts to adapt for the
future and allows Avista customers to participate in solar
and receive bill credits to offset their energy use while
also helping the environment and supporting
Washington’s renewable energy initiatives.
Dedicated Electric Vehicle Workplace
Charging Makes its Debut at Avista’s
Main Campus
As Avista explores the expansion of offerings related to
electric transportation, dedicated employee charging
stations were installed at our main campus to provide
greater access and support for those interested in
electric vehicles.
Reliable workplace charging extends the practical
commuting range of all-electric vehicles like the Nissan
LEAF, as well as increases the electric miles driven by
plug-in hybrid vehicles like the Chevy Volt. In order to
better advise our customers, Avista needs to set an
example and “learn by doing.” That is one reason
why we are a Partner of the DOE’s Workplace
Charging Challenge and pledged our commitment
to Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) Employee PEV
Engagement Initiative.
Avista has offered electric vehicle charging at the main
campus for employee and public use for several years.
This expands our commitment to electrification and
supporting efforts that lower emissions and protect
our environment.
Avista Partners with the City
of Spokane to Fuel New Trucks
with CNG
The vast majority of natural gas is used by Avista’s
nearly 330,000 customers mainly for residential and
commercial heating, water heating and cooking uses.
However, our company has been a leader in the use of
compressed natural gas (CNG) for transportation uses
since the mid-1980s.
Avista is putting that expertise to work with our own
fleet of CNG-fueled vehicles that use the less-expensive
and cleaner fuel, which is dispensed from three of our
own CNG fueling stations.
The City of Spokane recently opened its new Central
Service Center which is the home base for the city’s
new fleet of CNG-powered garbage trucks. While the
fueling station was being completed, Avista provided
the city with CNG from an Avista facility under a new
Washington state tariff that allows Avista to provide
CNG to commercial fleet operators by way of a
service contract.
Once the City’s CNG facility was complete, it began to
purchase natural gas from Avista and convert it to CNG
at the new service center.
While neither Avista nor the City of Spokane can sell
CNG to the public, the use of this alternative fuel makes
sense for these fleet vehicles both in terms of keeping
costs low and keeping our environment clean.
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45
Preserving Cutthroat Trout
Populations on the Lower
Clark Fork River
Westslope cutthroat trout are a “species of special
concern” (states of Montana and Idaho designations)
that occupy the lower Clark Fork River and many of its
tributaries. The lower Clark Fork River flows from
Montana into Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho approximately 10
miles downstream of Avista’s Cabinet Gorge Dam. This
dam blocks upstream fish passage to tributaries within
the lower Clark Fork River in Montana that were
historically available to westslope cutthroat trout. Avista
began the relicensing process for this dam in 1996. One
of the outcomes of this process was the development of
a Native Salmonid Restoration Plan (NSRP) which
addresses the need to improve native trout habitat and
their likelihood of persistence. The NSRP also identifies a
need to “establish and maintain connectivity in the
Clark Fork Basin for migratory trout” in an effort to
increase native salmonid numbers in tributaries to the
Clark Fork River.
Avista and a number of
stakeholders, including Idaho
Department of Fish and Game,
Trout Unlimited and Montana
Fish, Wildlife and Parks, have
been working collaboratively to
address a number of concerns
related to westslope cutthroat
trout passage since 2006.
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46
Efforts were made to pass westslope cutthroat trout over
Avista’s mainstem Clark Fork River dams beginning in
2006. Avista and a number of stakeholders including
Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Trout Unlimited,
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service have been working collaboratively to
address a number of concerns related to westslope
cutthroat trout passage since that time.
In April of 2015, Avista, with the help of local
stakeholder groups, began transporting westslope
cutthroat trout past Cabinet Gorge Dam. This was the
first time in over 60 years that a westslope cutthroat
trout that potentially hatched in a Montana tributary and
migrated downstream past Cabinet Gorge Dam to
mature in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, had the opportunity
to return to a stream in Montana. Avista worked to radio
tag and transport approximately 50 mature westslope
cutthroat trout to Cabinet Gorge Reservoir in 2015 and
monitor their movements following release to determine
if they will enter tributaries to Cabinet Gorge Reservoir
to spawn. The first-year results will dictate future
transport efforts. With this work, we hope to see an
increase in the number of large migratory westslope
cutthroat trout both in Montana tributaries and Lake
Pend Oreille, Idaho.
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47
Avista Partners with Agencies to
Improve the Clark Fork Delta
The loss of land and associated habitat to erosion in the
Clark Fork Delta has been a concern to many in the
community and surrounding area. As part of Avista’s
collaborative relicensing of the Noxon and Cabinet
Gorge dams, the rate and cause of this loss was
quantified and the role of the dams was understood.
With this information in hand, a protection, mitigation
and enhancement (PM&E) measure was developed to
address the impacts to the Clark Fork Delta as part of
the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement, and the license
that allows Avista to own and operate these dams.
After exploration into potential solutions and their
associated costs and based on the lessons learned and
demonstrated success of the Pack River Delta restoration
project completed in 2009, funding partners, such as
Bonneville Power Administration, became available for
the Clark Fork Delta Restoration project. Ducks
Unlimited, under contract with Idaho Fish and Game,
designed and is overseeing construction of the project.
A representative from Idaho Fish and Game has
spearheaded the effort to include a multitude of
partners and volunteers needed to assist with the
project. Efforts include installing various erosion control
structures along the face of the Delta and main river
channel, along with restoration activities that include
creating deeper pond areas and higher uplands to
increase the diversity of habitat in the area.
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48
Inside Environmental Stewardship
Stewardship of
the Waterways
Avista protects and improves water quality in the
Spokane River watershed as part of our ongoing
operations, as well as part of implementing the Spokane
River Hydroelectric Project license. We participate in the
Washington Department of Ecology’s Total Maximum
Daily Load (TMDL) process to improve dissolved oxygen
(DO) levels in the Spokane River and Lake Spokane.
Under our license, and in coordination with area
wastewater dischargers, we developed a plan and are
currently implementing it to improve dissolved oxygen
levels in Lake Spokane. In addition, we carry out
construction and maintenance activities in ways that
protect surface and ground waters and which prevent
storm water run-off. We handle and store oils and other
chemicals in a responsible manner and follow best
management practices in our day-to-day operations.
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 50 of 115
49
Spokane River Project
Avista owns and operates six hydroelectric plants on the
Spokane River. The Spokane River Hydroelectric Project,
which is comprised of five of Avista’s Spokane River
plants, operates under a 50-year license issued by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
The license includes a variety of measures, many based
on multi-stakeholder agreements, designed to protect
and enhance natural resources connected with the
project and the Spokane River. The sixth plant, Little
Falls, is operated under separate authority from the U.S.
Congress and an agreement with the Spokane Tribe.
Avista, with key stakeholders, continues to implement
the FERC license conditions. These collaborative efforts
help protect and enhance fish and their habitat,
wetlands, water quality, recreational opportunities,
wildlife habitat, and cultural and aesthetic resources
connected to the Spokane River. Under the terms of a
settlement agreement, Avista and the Coeur d’Alene
Tribe are working together over the term of the new
license and beyond to ensure continued operation of an
important hydroelectric resource.
Specific 2015 water quality activities on the
Spokane River Project included:
• Completed the design for the Long Lake Dam Total
Dissolved Gas (TDG) Spillway Modification Project to
allow for construction in 2016;
• Continued implemention of the Lake Spokane
Dissolved Oxygen Water Quality Attainment Plan,
which focuses on reasonable and feasible measures to
improve DO in Lake Spokane;
• Provided funding to Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe to
complete water quality monitoring in Coeur d’Alene
Lake and the Upper Spokane River; and
• Continued implementing draft tube aeration at Long
Lake Dam to improve DO levels downstream. Aeration
was used in the summer months to help keep levels
above the state standard of 8 mg/L downstream of
the dam.
The Spokane River Hydroelectric Project,
which is comprised of five of Avista’s
Spokane River plants, operates under a
50-year license issued by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 51 of 115
50
In 2015, Avista completed the following
work on aquatic weeds for the Spokane
River Project:
• Surveyed Coeur d’Alene Lake’s shoreline and
partnered with the Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality to survey four bays for milfoil.
As part of this project we treated 40 acres of milfoil in
Windy Bay and two acres in Mica Bay. This work was
completed outside the Coeur d’Alene Indian
Reservation and was done in accordance with the
Coeur d’Alene Lake Aquatic Weed Management Plan
for Non-Tribal Waters;
• Worked collaboratively with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe
to control milfoil within the Reservation (South end of
Coeur d’Alene Lake) on approximately 95 acres;
• Partnered with the Lake Spokane Association to treat
approximately 40 acres of aquatic weeds with
herbicide and completed pre-treatment surveys for the
winter reservoir drawdown in Lake Spokane; and
• Removed approximately 1,100 individual flowering
rush plants in Lake Spokane and Nine Mile Reservoir.
In 2015, Avista completed the following
work on wetlands related to the Spokane
River Project:
• Planted approximately 3,500 trees in the Hangman
Creek wetland area in Idaho in cooperation with the
Coeur d’Alene Tribe;
• Continued with the yellow flag iris control efforts and
planted 400 trees and shrubs along the five-acre Little
Spokane River Wetland Complex, located near the
confluence with the Spokane River; and
• Implemented the management plan for the 109 acre
Sasheen Wetland Area, located in the little Spokane
River drainage, by treating approximately 26 acres of
reed canarygrass.
In 2015, Avista completed the following
work on fisheries related to the Spokane
River Project:
• Partnered with the Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife to complete the sixth year of a 10-year
population assessment of redband trout in the lower
Spokane River;
• Stocked 6,000, 9,000 and 155,000 rainbow trout in
Upper Falls, Nine Mile and Lake Spokane, respectively,
for family fishing opportunities; and
• Partnered with the Idaho Department of Fish and
Game to assess additional properties for protection for
cold water fish habitat.
In 2015, Avista continued to work with local, state and
federal agencies to improve and/or manage public
recreation sites and opportunities that are scattered
along the Coeur d’Alene, St. Joe, St. Maries and
Spokane rivers, as well as on Coeur d’Alene Lake, Nine
Mile Reservoir and Lake Spokane. Avista also works with
the City of Spokane to manage Huntington Park as a
component of the city’s Riverfront Park.
Clark Fork River Project
Avista’s Clark Fork Hydroelectric Project includes the
Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids dams, located on the
Clark Fork River in northern Idaho and northwestern
Montana. 2015 marked the 17th year of successful,
collaborative implementation of the Clark Fork
Settlement Agreement, a multi-stakeholder agreement
for managing and protecting the natural resources of the
area. The agreement includes a 45-year operating license
from FERC to operate Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids
dams. As part of the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement,
and with the oversight of the Clark Fork Management
Committee, we implement protection, mitigation and
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 52 of 115
51
enhancement measures every year. In the first 17 years
of implementation, 23 recreational facilities have been
upgraded and six new facilities created, over 45 stream
habitat restoration projects have occurred on 25
different tributaries, bull trout populations are increasing
and nearly 89,000 acres of bull trout, wetlands, riparian
and associated upland habitat have been protected.
In addition, water quality and cultural resource
protection continue.
Activities implemented related to the Clark Fork
River Project in 2015, include:
• Completed annual fall meetings of the Clark Fork
Settlement Agreement Aquatic and Terrestrial
Technical Advisory Committees and Management
Committee (MC) during September. At the Fall MC
meeting, IDFG presented Avista a plaque and a letter
from the Director recognizing Avista’s 15 years of
stewardship of Idaho’s fish and wildlife resources.
• Electro fished below Cabinet Gorge Dam and
operated the Cabinet Gorge Fish Hatchery ladder to
capture and manually transport upstream migrating
adult bull trout into Montana waters.
• Work continued on the construction of the Cabinet
Gorge Fish Handling Facility. Once completed, the
facility will provide a safe and reliable facility to hold,
analyze and process fish collected by the existing
upstream fish passage program. The new handling
facility is designed to handle significantly higher
numbers of fish anticipated once the passage facility
is operational.
• The first mainstem Lightning Creek large woody debris
habitat enhancement project was completed in the
summer, a combined effort between Avista, Idaho
Panhandle National Forests, Idaho Department of Fish
and Game, and the National Forest Foundation. With
success of these improvements, future work will
continue downstream, increasing channel stability and
improving fish habitat in lower Lightning Creek.
Avista implements the requirements of National Pollution
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits when
necessary and has made efforts to eliminate the need for
permits, going from four permits to two in 2015. For
specific details on land managed, protected habitats,
biodiversity impacts and strategies, see our Spokane
River Project FERC License and Clark Fork Project FERC
License online at avistautilities.com.
Our protection, mitigation and enhancement
expenditures in 2015 for implementing the Spokane
River Project License were approximately $2.8 million.
For the Clark Fork River license implementation, we
spent $7.0 million. These totals reflect environmental
affairs activities associated with license implementation
only. Avista practices environmental stewardship in all of
our daily operations, including generation and
production, and the costs of doing so are included in our
capital and operations and maintenance budgets.
Bull trout populations are
increasing and nearly 89,000
acres of bull trout, wetlands,
riparian and associated upland
habitat have been protected.
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 53 of 115
52
Climate and
Environmental Impacts
The latest report of the National Resources Defense
Council, “Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100
Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States,”
has ranked Avista among the cleanest power producers
in the country when it comes to greenhouse gases. With
48 percent of our net generation capability from
hydroelectric resources, a majority of our thermal
generation fueled with natural gas, wind and biomass,
and a long-standing commitment to energy efficiency,
Avista is one of the lowest utility emitters of greenhouse
gases in the country.
Climate Policy Council
Avista’s Climate Policy Council is an interdisciplinary
team of management and other employees from key
departments across the company. The council meets
regularly to report on various issues including climate
policy, federal, state and regional climate initiatives and
legislation. The council also facilitates internal and
external communications regarding climate change
issues, analyzes policy impacts, anticipates opportunities,
evaluates relevant strategies for Avista, and develops
recommendations on climate-related policy positions and
action plans. Avista also tracks and reports greenhouse
gas emissions according to federal and state
requirements. In addition to engaging in regulatory and
legislative policy making regarding climate change
policies, we are preparing for future opportunities
related to innovations in electric transportation,
distributed generation, and more that can reduce our
carbon footprint.
While climate change and potential impacts are
difficult to predict, Avista continues to focus on
providing a responsible generation resource mix for our
customers, including a wide range of conservation and
efficiency measures.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Avista reduces potential greenhouse gas emissions
through conservation and improving the efficiency of our
operations, transmission and distribution system and
generation capacity.
We are avoiding associated greenhouse gas emissions
through the 125 average megawatts of energy efficiency
on our system, as well as through system upgrades as a
result of our smart grid projects, green fleet program
and commute trip reduction participation. While Avista
has not established specific greenhouse gas emissions
reduction goals, we are undertaking voluntary efforts
that provide both environmental and economic benefits.
In two of the states where we have operations —
Washington and Oregon — greenhouse gas reduction
goals have been enacted. We will align our program
with state and federal requirements as they evolve.
CO2 Emissions Reporting
Avista is not currently obligated by any federal or state
regulatory agencies to provide or purchase allowances
through any carbon trading network.
Mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reporting to the
EPA and the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality started in 2011, and reporting to the
Washington Department of Ecology started in 2012.
We have a greenhouse gas monitoring plan in place that
documents data collection and emission calculations and
specifies quality assurance procedures to be used prior to
submitting greenhouse gas data to these agencies.
We have met all applicable regulatory reporting
requirements and will report greenhouse gas emissions
for 2015 to the appropriate agencies in 2016.
The latest report of the National Resources Defense
Council, “Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100
Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States,”
has ranked Avista among the cleanest power producers
in the country when it comes to greenhouse gases.
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53
Reducing Vehicle Impacts
Avista’s Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Program educates and encourages
employees to make informed decisions about reducing their “drive alone”
miles — the miles an employee travels to their work site as a solo occupant in a vehicle.
Washington’s Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) law, adopted in 1991, and incorporated
into the Washington Clean Air Act, seeks to improve air quality, reduce traffic
congestion, and minimize energy consumption. The subsequent Commute Trip
Reduction Efficiency Act requires employers with 100 or more employees at a single
worksite, in counties with 150,000 or more residents, to promote eco-friendly
transportation options including: riding the bus, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling,
walking, working from home, compressed work weeks and flexible work schedules.
For the year 2015, Avista employees reduced their drive-alone miles by 189,776 miles
and eliminated 182,185 pounds of carbon dioxide. These results are in line with the
prior year’s performance, although slightly decreased due to the changing economic
environment and the fluctuating price of gasoline.
Avista employees reduced
their drive-alone miles by
For the year 2015
miles pounds
and eliminated
of carbon dioxide
189,776 182,185
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54
Avista’s Green Fleet Program
Avista’s Green Fleet Program was created with the intent
of investing in and implementing technologies and
practices that serve as the foundation of a sustainable
fleet. Avista’s fleet consists of more than 1,200 assets,
including trucks, trailers, backhoes and other pieces of
equipment. We strive to manage our fleet in
a manner that is in the best interest of our
stakeholders and the environment. The program
focuses on:
• Maintaining company vehicles to maximize efficiency
and purchasing and using the “right-sized” vehicle for
a particular job or service.
• Exploring alternative fuel vehicle purchasing practices
that include the use of cleaner fuels and technologies,
including CNG, and Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles
(PHEVs).
• Studying renewable fuel / clean fuel options for our
fleet, specifically, renewable diesel options.
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
Avista’s implementation of CNG to fuel our own Natural
Gas Vehicles (NGVs) aims to reduce fuel costs and
reduce our carbon footprint.
CNG is a safe, clean and efficient alternative fuel
that serves Avista and a growing number of
vehicles on the road. Since 2011, Avista has:
• Completed the construction of three new CNG
refueling stations, with fast-fill and time-fill capability
in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.
• Purchased 91 CNG bi-fueled half-ton, three quarter-
ton and one-ton pick-up trucks to our fleet.
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55
CNG is a safe, clean and
efficient alternative fuel
that serves Avista and a
growing number of
vehicles on the road.
Electric Vehicles
Avista operates a growing number of electric vehicles.
In 2014, Avista was instrumental in implementing Edison
Electric Institute’s pledge to put five percent of our
vehicle spend towards electrified vehicles and we have
exceeded this target.
Highlights of our electric vehicle operations and
fleet include:
• Operation of two PHEVs and one electric vehicle (EV).
The use of these vehicles helps to provide more
information on the performance of electric vehicles as
well as future purchasing decisions.
• Placement of three Level 2 charging stations in our
community for the public’s use.
• An electric puller-tensioner, a tool for installing
conductor by our electric operations crews. This device
sets a new standard for both a clean vehicle as well as
worksite safety.
• A bucket truck with a jobsite energy management
system that uses an electric power take-off (ePTO) to
power to the boom so that the engine can be turned
off and the bucket can operate on batteries instead of
the diesel engine. Additionally, this truck features
exportable power and electrified heating and air
conditioning in the cab.
Through our green fleet efforts, we have grown our
deployment of idle reduction technologies and electric
vehicles in our fleet, and will continue to investigate
additional technologies and opportunities to enhance
our fleet and maximize the value of our investments.
Managing PCBs
Manufacture of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) was
banned in the United States in 1979 due to concerns
about the toxicity of these chemicals. However, until that
time, manufacturers incorporated PCBs in a wide range
of products and materials, many of which are still in use
across the country. Ongoing concerns regarding PCBs,
including their persistence in the environment, have
resulted in extensive regulation. Avista manages PCBs
and mineral oil that contains low levels of PCBs in a
manner that meets or exceeds the standards of the
federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and
Washington state’s stringent regulations.
Our goal is to minimize risk associated with PCBs, to
avoid spills or releases, and to clean up any releases to
levels of non-detection.
Federal and state regulations allow the ongoing use of
PCB-containing electrical equipment. However, we
decided to take a more conservative and proactive
approach to reducing risks associated with PCBs.
The vast majority of the equipment in service at Avista is
non-PCB. Our first wave of removal efforts focused on
equipment with levels at 500 ppm or greater of PCBs.
This type of equipment, as identified, was removed and
properly disposed of during the 1980s. During the
1990s and early 2000s, we focused on removal of
equipment containing between 50 and 500 ppm
of PCBs.
We are now in the midst of a multi-year project to
remove and replace all electrical overhead distribution
equipment with detectable levels of PCBs, an approach
that exceeds any regulatory requirement.
We are, once again, conducting these efforts in concert
with system and efficiency upgrades and in coordination
with our wood pole management plans. In this way, we
are achieving increased environmental protection along
with reliability improvements in a cost-effective manner,
benefitting our customers and our communities. In
2015, 33.96 lbs of PCBs were sent for destruction
in accordance with the Toxics Substance Control
Act (TSCA).
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Managing Hazardous Waste
Streams
“RCRA waste” represents hazardous waste as defined in
the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and
applicable state laws. We try to avoid generating
hazardous waste by careful product selection, and we
look for other ways to reduce the generation of
hazardous waste. For those wastes we do generate, we
manage them carefully. Until 2011, our largest source of
hazardous waste was from aerosol cans that were
collected from throughout the company. We achieved a
98 percent reduction of this waste stream through 2015
due to an increased emphasis on using the full content
of aerosols and a device that captures residual content
from cans. We manage all federal hazardous waste to
meet or exceed regulations. This includes, as
appropriate, treatment or disposal at permitted disposal
facilities. “Non-RCRA” wastes include waste streams
that are not deemed “hazardous,” but which we
manage as special wastes. These include waste oils,
greases, antifreeze, and a range of miscellaneous wastes
that can be recycled, blended into fuels, or responsibly
disposed. These are managed and disposed of in ways
to meet or exceed state and federal regulations.
“Universal wastes” include specific waste streams
designated by federal and state law that are excluded
from being treated as “hazardous” if they are managed
according to specific standards. These include items
such as fluorescent light bulbs. We manage all universal
wastes in accordance with these standards.
Spill Response/Pollution Prevention
The Environmental Compliance group at Avista is on call
24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond
immediately to environmental emergencies. In the case
of an oil spill originating from any of our facilities, lines
or poles, we immediately implement emergency spill
procedures and begin working with the appropriate
local, state and federal agencies to assess the situation
and begin clean-up. Avista responds to all spills,
regardless of size, location or oil type. The goal is to
safely and efficiently eliminate any potential harm to
fish, wildlife, natural resources, water supplies or people.
Avista crews and personnel respond directly to typical,
smaller spills, such as those that happen when a car hits
a utility pole. For larger spills, Avista has on-call contracts
with emergency spill response companies. These firms
specialize in clean up and are able to mount appropriate
responses. Avista is also a voluntary member of the
Spokane River Response Group, organized by the
Washington Department of Ecology, a collaborative
effort made up of local, state, and federal oil spill
responders as well as members of industry. This group
was developed to address the need for oil spill
preparedness and response along the Spokane River.
Members of the group share resources and collaborate
on training to make coordination on spill responses
efficient and effective. We also participate in local
emergency planning committees in Washington, Idaho
and Montana.
Pollution prevention matters at Avista. We’re continuously
looking for process modifications and ways to improve
housekeeping, maintenance and training that reduce
the amount of hazardous or any regulated waste
we generate.
Recycling
Through a 26-year partnership with a community non-
profit organization, Avista’s recycling program employs
full-time a number of developmentally disabled workers
who help us recycle paper, corrugated cardboard,
aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles, magazines,
newspapers, wood reels, phone books and batteries.
Avista is also committed to recycling nonhazardous
electrical equipment and materials. Working closely
with recycling companies, aluminum, copper, lead,
and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals are reclaimed
and recycled. Not only is it good for the environment,
but our recycling efforts have saved Avista refuse
disposal costs.
Environmental Fines And Sanctions
Avista did not incur any environmental fines or sanctions
in 2015.
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57WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 59 of 115
58
Carbon Footprint
Rate of CO2 Emissions of Company-Owned Generation
100 Largest U.S. Electric Power Producers
CO
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M
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Environmental Stewardship – By the numbers
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2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 60 of 115
59
Avista’s CO2e Emission Intensity
Source: Avista FERC Form 1; World Resources Institute/World
Business Council on Sustainable Development
lb
s
C
O
2e/
M
W
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1200
1000
800
600
400
200
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Avista’s CO2e Emissions
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9
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4
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1
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4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 61 of 115
60
Significant Air Emissions by Type and Weight, Total Metric Tons
Facility Fuel Type CO2e SO2 NOx Hg voc
Kettle Falls Wood 13,158 4 380 0.0 13
Colstrip Units 3 & 4 Coal 1,669,829 722 2,956 0.1 49
Colstrip Units 3 & 4 Oil 764 2 1 0.0 0
Rathdrum Natural Gas 34,000 0 20 0.0 1
Northeast Natural Gas 750 0 2 0.0 0
Boulder Park Natural Gas 10,897 0 2 0.0 8
Coyote Springs 2 Natural Gas 695,873 4 119 0.0 5
Kettle Falls CT Natural Gas 256 0 0 0.0 0
Totals 2,425,528 732 3,481 0.1 75
Note: CO2e = Total CO2 and CO2 equivalents of all greenhouse gases emitted by generating units, CO2 generated from biomass at Kettle Falls is carbon neutral and not
inlcuded in totals
Emissions per MWh
MWh CO2e SO2 NOx Hg voc
Total Energy Electricity Generation 7,417,080 720 0.22 1.03 0.0 0.02
Fossil Fuel Electricity Generation 3,662,014 1,457 0.44 2.10 0.0 0.05
Note: All values in lbs parameter/MWh except where noted
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 62 of 115
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62
Community Partnership
Our vision for giving back means that we are investing in organizations and causes in
ways that can be transformational and have long-lasting impact.
Avista community investments are made through corporate and foundation donations
and are not included in customer rates. Avista gives back a portion of the profits it is
allowed to earn, reinvesting in the communities we serve.
We believe that bringing value to our customers and attaining our business goals go
hand-in-hand.
We are Invested in Our Customers
and the Communities We Serve
Bringing energy to life
extends beyond providing
electricity and natural gas
for our customers. As
employees and a company,
we are an active partner
and advocate that brings
energy to strengthening
those communities where
we serve, as well as where
we live and play.
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 64 of 115
63
Avista helps build value for our
communities through active involvement
in organizations and causes that are
growing jobs and improving the quality
of life in our region.
Where there is a major event, it’s a given that Avista
is there. From January through December, Avista
employees are active in events that bring people
together for camaraderie, for fun and for service to
others. Investments are also made through the time,
talent and treasure that our employees put into the
organizations in the towns they call home
throughout our service territory.
Special events, non-profit fundraisers,
community gatherings, sports games and more
— Avista provides sponsorship support across
our service areas to strengthen our
communities and broaden the reach of local
organizations.
In 2015, Avista was named as one of the top 75
corporate philanthropists in the state of Washington
by the Puget Sound (Wash.) Business Journal for the
fifth consecutive year. Giving through Avista
corporate and Avista Foundation donations in 2015
totaled $2.58 million.
Sponsorships:
Philanthropy: Economic Vitality:
Employee Volunteerism:
Our community giving is
focused in the following areas:
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64
A Legacy of Community
Support — The Avista
Foundation
The Avista Foundation was formed in 2002 to create a
legacy of investment for the communities served by
Avista and to serve as the primary charitable vehicle for
the company.
The foundation focuses its giving on grants that
strengthen communities and enhance the quality
of lives of the people served by our company.
Emphasis is in the areas of:
• Education — supporting K-12 education particularly
in the fields of science, math and technology; and
higher education including scholarships.
• Vulnerable and limited income populations —
providing assistance to those on limited incomes and
support for initiatives to reduce poverty.
• Economic and cultural vitality — supporting
projects that help our communities and citizens to
grow and prosper. Avista corporate donations focus
primarily on energy assistance and economic vitality-
related initiatives that benefit our customers
and communities.
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 66 of 115
65
$1,270,256
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
YOUTH
ARTS AND CULTURE
EDUCATION
COMMUNITY VITALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL
$137,856
$148,418
$435,169
$566,071
$24,439 * The majority of Avista’s support for environmental stewardship comes through
the millions spent each year in meeting the federal license requirements for our
projects on the Clark Fork and Spokane rivers. See the Environmental
Stewardship section of this report for more information.
$2,582,209
TOTAL GIVING
65WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 67 of 115
66
Idaho Food Bank
The current location of the north central branch of the
Idaho Foodbank is hidden in east Lewiston near the
Lewiston Livestock Market. The current out of the way
location and the fact that the Foodbank has outgrown
its warehouse facility were two reasons the organization
embarked on a capital campaign for a new facility which
will be located in the heart of the Lewiston Orchards,
accessible to Orchards residents as well as those who
live downtown.
Avista’s service territory in north central Idaho mirrors
that of the Foodbank’s, so it makes sense that Avista
partners with the Foodbank whenever possible. In 2015,
the Avista Foundation contributed $5,000 to the capital
campaign, entitled “A Fresh Approach to Feeding
Idaho Families.”
The Idaho Foodbank is the largest distributor of free,
critical food items in Idaho. The capital campaign and
Avista’s investment gives the Food Bank the opportunity
to build a modern warehouse with the equipment
needed to accept and distribute more food, particularly
more fresh food, to schools, community centers and
non-profit partners. The new teaching kitchen inside the
warehouse will support the growing demand for classes
on how to make the best use of the food received and
provide the resources to offer nutrition programs geared
to alleviate food insecurity among those many residents
in need in the area.
Every month, more than 17,500 children, families and
senior citizens in north central Idaho are hungry. When
the cupboards are empty, The Idaho Foodbank and its
partner networks help those who struggle. At Avista, we
believe one of the vital elements of a healthy community
is the care and feeding of those who are most in need.
The new warehouse with energy-efficient refrigerators
and freezers will give the food bank more flexibility in
the foods it can receive from a wider variety of sources.
Josephine County Library District
Promotes Literacy
In 2007, the Josephine County government funding
crisis caused the Josephine Community Libraries, Inc.
(JCLI) to close the doors to its four branches. Two years
later, with the help of a group of committed volunteers,
the JCLI was able to reopen its doors.
As one part of increasing graduation rates and reducing
poverty in Josephine County, the JCLI worked to
upgrade their two children’s libraries that promote
literacy, reduce poverty, and help all Josephine County
residents prosper.
Avista supported the renovation project which helped
fund the modernization of their children’s spaces as
well as provide hands on tools that will inspire fun,
literacy exploration.
Avista Supports Christ Kitchen and
Job training
Christ Clinic / Christ Kitchen has been impacting lives in
Spokane for more than two decades. Through Christ
Kitchen, the organization has provided job training,
support and fellowship for women in poverty since
1998. The organization enables women to learn how to
work, to become employable and, eventually, to support
themselves and their families. What began with the
production and sales of gourmet, dried food products,
has morphed into a catering service and now a mobile
food truck project.
The Avista Foundation was proud to donate $2,000 in
support of this program and partner with Christ Clinic /
Christ Kitchen on the food truck job initiative. We see
the value of this quality training and opportunities given
to the women in their programs. This is an innovative
way to extend the quality food service Christ Kitchen
has become known for.
Juneau Creates Seward Statue
After narrowly losing a close race for the Republican
presidential nomination to none other than Abraham
Lincoln, William H. Seward was appointed Secretary of
State by President Lincoln in one of his very first cabinet
appointments. Seward provided President Lincoln with
years of counsel, and Lincoln developed respect for
Seward’s interest in the value of undeveloped territory.
Seward believed it was the government’s responsibility
to provide infrastructure to nurture development, and
saw large opportunities for expansion in the state we
now call Alaska.
On March 30, 1867 (now called Seward’s Day), Seward
signed the treaty to purchase Alaska. Seward’s Legacy
has been honored again and again throughout Alaska
as a city and a highway, as well as many other
historical landmarks.
To support the preservation of Seward’s legacy, Avista
has contributed to a project that will commemorate him
with a life-size statue in Juneau.
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Spokane’s Chinese Lantern Festival
Presented by Avista
In the fall of 2015, Spokane hosted the Chinese Lantern
Festival, the first of its kind in the western United States.
This five-week celebration of chinese culture featured
massive lanterns, amazing performances and incredible
food. Avista was proud to serve as the presenting
sponsor, infusing our region with incredible culture,
providing family gathering opportunities and bolstering
our local economy.
The festival brought Riverfront Park, in downtown
Spokane to life, and included 30 large displays and
hundreds of individual displays that were made in and
brought to Spokane from China. In addition, the Lantern
Festival featured nightly cultural performances and
demonstrations, children’s activities such as Chinese
calligraphy and fascinating historic displays chronicling
nearly 5,000 years of Chinese culture.
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Avista Provides Space that Will Be
Home to Science Center
Built in 1911 to house back-up energy generated from
Avista’s Monroe Street Hydroelectric Project, the small
building next door to the Post St. substation had been
underutilized over the last several decades. That began
to change in 2015.
On May 1, Avista and the Mobius Science Center
signed a 10-year lease for the first (street) level of the
Post St. Annex, providing a permanent home for the
science center. The location of building close to the
Spokane River and the generation facility provides
children and families with a unique learning opportunity
and view. Having Mobius in the center of downtown,
overlooking Huntington Park and across from Riverfront
Park is a gift we are sharing with our community. Our
hope is that this will leverage further development and
enhancements for Spokane and the Inland Northwest.
On May 1, Avista and the
Mobius Science Center signed
a 10-year lease for the first
(street) level of the Post St.
Annex, providing a permanent
home for the science center.
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69
Amazing Kids Caught in the Act
Avista, in partnership with northwest credit union STCU
and Kids Newspaper each month celebrates amazing
kids and teachers in local schools who are making a big
difference every day. Caught in the Act is a program
created by STCU and co-sponsored by Avista that
recognizes area students who demonstrate outstanding
character and behavior. It lets elementary school
teachers and staff catch kids in the act of doing good
and nominate them to receive awards, including having
their names published in Kids Newspaper. Teacher of the
Month is a program that recognizes teachers who are
nominated by their students for excellence in the
classroom. Avista’s support of this program allows us to
strengthen our community, focus on and enhance the
education system and celebrate our neighbors.
Extending the Reach of Avista’s
Low Income Rate Assistance
Program (LIRAP)
Beginning in October 2015, Avista implemented a rate
discount pilot program available to 800 senior and
disabled customers that are living on a fixed income in
Stevens, Lincoln, Ferry and Spokane counties.
Seeing a need and as a request out of Avista’s 2014
general rate case, the rate discount was designed by a
group of stakeholders that included representatives from
Avista staff, the Commission staff, the Department of
Commerce, Public Counsel Division of the Attorney
General’s office, low-income advocates and other
interested parties. The group came together to explore
modifications and additions to extend the reach of the
existing Low Income Rate Assistance Program (LIRAP) to
achieve the following goals:
• keeping customers connected to their energy service;
• serving more customers in need with assistance;
• lowering the energy burden for those struggling to
pay their energy bill;
• ensuring that there is data to support the program’s
effectiveness.
The average benefit is based on the customer’s annual
energy usage and the customer can elect to have the
rate discount applied to either their electric or natural
gas service. Depending on the customer’s energy use,
the discount can range between 31 to 43 percent on an
electric bill or 42 to 47 percent on a natural gas bill. The
pilot will run through September 2017.
The Juneau Symphony Connects
with Youth Through Kids2Concerts
Kids2Concerts, a program of the Juneau Symphony, was
created to provide opportunity for young listeners and
their families who might not have access to attend live,
symphonic music.
Avista partnered with the Juneau Symphony to provide
400 ticket vouchers for performances to students and
the Student Symphony. By supporting the program,
Avista is enabling youth development through musical
training and music exposure.
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Avista Contributes to the Upgrade
of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
at Providence Sacred heart
Medical Center
As a company that relies on advanced equipment and
infrastructure, Avista recognizes the importance of
upgraded and reliable equipment. The Providence Health
Care Foundation reached out for support, and agreed to
match one hundred percent of Avista’s contribution, in
renovating their Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU),
which had not been renovated in 30 years. The CICU
plays a critical role in cardiac care in the area and is the
regional referral center for approximately 1.7 million
residents of the Inland Northwest. In the last year, the
CICU performed over 5,200 lifesaving procedures,
including 13 heart transplants and 111 pediatric
cardiac surgeries.
Avista’s $100,000 donation will contribute to the
expansion of the facilities that will now include a 34-bed
intensive care unit, an increase of 12 beds, which will be
equipped with cutting-edge technology for patients.
Rooms will be larger with new equipment and
infrastructure features to enhance the overall patient
experience and staff efficiency and contribute to a
healthier overall community. With Avista’s support,
exceptional cardiac care will remain accessible to
the region.
The Providence Health Care
Foundation reached out for
support, and agreed to match
one hundred percent of Avista’s
contribution, in renovating their
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
(CICU), which had not been
renovated in 30 years.
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Whitworth University Music Building
and Program Expands
Whitworth University’s music program is vibrant and
thriving. The number of faculty and students has
increased significantly over the last 35 years, and with
this, came the need to make substantial investment in
expanding the music building — the Cowles Music
Center. Faculty, alumni, and students that study,
practice, and teach in these facilities are well known for
their community involvement as they work as
professional musicians in the Spokane Symphony, Coeur
d’Alene Symphony, and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra and
perform in various theater productions. In their plans for
a new, state-of-the-art music facility, Whitworth
included numerous energy conservation measures that
will make the building more efficient.
With the investment of $100,000 over the next five
years, Avista is strengthening Whitworth’s ability to
influence and enrich the education of students and
supporting the success of the music program on
campus, in our communities and beyond.
Windstorm 2015 Giving
Early Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, Avista’s service territory
endured a windstorm that created the worst devastation
in our history. Beyond the round the clock power
restoration efforts, in the 10 days customers were
without power, Avista pledged more than $94,000 to
fund shelters and warming centers and to provide
emergency food and associated services. With the well-
being of the community as a top priority, at least 50
Avista volunteers in non-restoration critical positions
worked with other volunteers throughout Spokane
going door-to-door checking on vulnerable customers,
Avista provided 1,000 Thanksgiving meals and 45
employee volunteers in support of Tom’s Turkey Drive,
and we also offered $150 grocery store gift cards to
more than 3,000 customers who were expected to be
without service on Thanksgiving Day.
With the investment of $100,000 over the next five
years, Avista is strengthening Whitworth’s ability to
influence and enrich the education of students and
supporting the success of the music program on
campus, in our communities and beyond.
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First Move Chess
First Move, a two year chess curriculum, was developed
with the mission to integrate chess as a learning tool to
promote critical and creative thinking to second and
third graders all over the country. Chess requires
students to analyze, plan, and execute their every
move all while using math, science, and reading
based concepts.
In 2015, Avista donated to a cause that will help
students develop their problem solving skills at an early
age, increase their math and reading aptitude, as well as
help them cultivate an intellectual self-esteem and
positive social behavior. First Move is an organization
that Avista is proud to support and by supporting a
foundation that invests in our youth we can expect a
generation that will contribute to the study of math and
the sciences.
Kootenai Health Expands Facility
and Access
With a mission to improve the health of each one of its
patients and the entire community, Kootenai Health is
beginning an expansion of their facilities that will help
them provide greater access to high quality care for their
patients. With the expansion, they will have the ability to
serve a greater number of patients more efficiently.
Kootenai Health serves a wide range of health care
needs expanding over a large territory including
Kootenai, Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, and Shoshone
counties in Idaho and this project will allow the
organization to serve over 220,000 patients with care in
a safe, friendly, professional environment. Avista
committed $45,000 to the project that will contribute to
patients being served with modern equipment and
facility as well as increasing the health of the community.
Bemiss Elementary School
First Move is an organization that Avista
is proud to support, and by supporting a
foundation that invests in our youth, we
can expect a generation that will
contribute to the study of math and
the sciences.
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Community Involvement
Company leadership encourages employees to engage
in external relationships throughout the regions we
serve. Hundreds of our employees are in volunteer
leadership roles in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana
and Alaska. These include health and human services
organizations, civic organizations, environmental and
non-governmental groups (NGOs), economic
development organizations, educational institutions and
industry groups.
Employee Giving
The heart and soul of Avista can be found in our
employees. They are not only devoted to doing an
exceptional job for our customers but they dedicate
themselves to community service in a way that is
inspirational and downright contagious. In 2015, their
generosity resulted in more than 48,500 hours of
volunteer service to more than 800 organizations, both
large and small, across our service territory.
Inside Community PartnershipEmployee Gift Matching
Avista’s matching gifts program is a tangible way for
our company to support and recognize the “treasure”
that employees generously donate to non-profit
organizations. As our employees invest in the
community, the company is able to increase the impact
of that investment to those non-profit organizations
valued by our employees through the matching gifts
program of the Avista Foundation. All eligible gifts up
to $200 each year receive a dollar-for-dollar match.
Funding for this program is from the Avista Foundation
and is not included in customer rates.
Avista joins with their employees to give generously to
causes and organizations that make meaningful impacts
for our children, families, and communities. This year,
employees gave $24,454 to non-profit organizations
that are important to them, their families, and their
community and Avista matched those contributions.
We recognize that our employees so generously give
their time, talent, and treasure to our community. The
matching gifts program is a tangible way for Avista to
support and recognize our employees’ generous
donations to non-profit organizations. As our employees
invest in the community, the company is now able to
increase the impact of that investment to those non-
profit organizations valued by our employees.
Employee Volunteerism Hours
Four-Year Trend In Volunteering
2012
50,700
2015
48,500 hours
hours
2014
48,000
2013
hours
hours
46,500
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74
Low Income and Senior Energy
Assistance and Outreach
Families living on limited incomes and seniors with fixed
incomes may rely on assistance to maintain essential
needs such as food on the table or gasoline in their
vehicles, access to healthcare or utility services in their
homes. Avista is committed to reducing the burden of
energy costs for our customers most affected by rising
energy prices, including low income individuals and
families, senior citizens, and disabled and vulnerable
customers. To assist our customers, we focus on actions
and programs in four primary areas:
• advocacy for and support of energy assistance
programs that provide direct financial assistance;
• low income and senior outreach programs;
• energy efficiency and conservation education; and
• support of community programs that increase
customers’ ability to meet the basic costs of living.
Energy Assistance
In 2001, the Washington Utilities and Transportation
Commission (UTC) approved Avista’s Low Income Rate
Assistance Program (LIRAP). Through this tariff surcharge
program, customers currently pay an average $0.68 per
month on their electric bill and an average of $0.74 per
month on their natural gas bill, that is designated for
rate assistance programs in Washington. A similar
program was approved in Oregon in 2002 (where
Avista provides solely natural gas), currently collecting
0.05 percent of the total charge per therm on Avista
customers’ bills. LIRAP is not available in Idaho.
In Oregon and Washington, we partner with community
action agencies to distribute the funds to our customers.
Avista is committed to reducing the burden of
energy costs for our customers most affected
by rising energy prices, including low income
individuals and families, senior citizens, and
disabled and vulnerable customers.
WNIDCL_PR_037(AVA) Attachment A Page 76 of 115
75
Avista also is an active partner in advocating for and
facilitating the distribution of federal Low Income
Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds, which are
distributed through our community action agency
partner programs.
Avista is the significant contributor to the regional
Project Share program that provides emergency energy
assistance for residential customers.
Project Share is primarily funded through contributions
from Avista customers, Avista employees and an annual
donation from Avista Corp. In 2015, Avista helped to
raise more than $494,313 to assist some 1,136
households, housing more than 6,489 individuals in
need in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.
Education — Energy Efficiency
and Conservation
Energy Fairs
Throughout the year, our customers ask for help in
managing their energy use and costs, but most
particularly through the cold winter months. During the
fall of 2015, Avista hosted four energy fairs in select
communities in our service area in Washington and
Idaho. The fairs were held in neighborhood community
centers and other locations that are recognized as core
to a given neighborhood, and each fair had a focus on
serving those in need, though they were open to the
general public. Approximately 1,250 people attended
the fairs in 2015.
Avista’s energy fairs offer a broad range of ideas and
demonstrations that help residents keep the warm air
inside and the cold air outside their homes. They’re also
a great way for customers to conveniently access
information about utility payment options, energy
assistance and energy efficiency as well as valuable
community resources, including home weatherization,
safety and independence resources for seniors,
and employment and financial counseling services.
Fair attendees see first-hand how to install such things
as rope caulk, window plastic and door sweeps. And
following each demonstration, they receive free samples
of each item used in the demonstration. Free admission
to the fair includes all demonstrations, free samples of
energy efficiency materials, complimentary food and
beverages and door prizes.
Workshops
Senior citizens on fixed incomes and low income families
often are struggling to make tight budgets cover all the
household expenses, including energy costs. Avista’s
workshops are specifically targeted to these vulnerable
groups, which are held in convenient locations, such as
senior centers and meal sites.
Of the 31 workshops we facilitated in 2015, we
equipped 899 people with information and resources
to help them effectively manage their energy use.
At workshops and outreach events, customers learn
about energy efficiency and conservation topics such as
controlling household drafts, managing the efficient use
of major appliances and home lighting, no-cost tips for
weatherization and information on bill payment options
and resources for assistance. Recognizing that a
significant portion of our target audience may be reliant
on medical equipment or living with chronic health
condition, our team provided other relevant information
such as power outage preparedness so that individuals
could have a plan should an outage occur.
During the fall of 2015,
Avista hosted four energy
fairs in select communities
in our service area in
Washington and Idaho.
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Mobile Outreach
Avista’s Energy Resource Van serves as mobile outreach
to improve access to energy assistance services/
information, home energy information and efficiency
resources for low-income, senior and vulnerable Avista
customers. Partnership has been a key component for
reaching these audiences. The primary partner in 2015
was Second Harvest Food Bank mobile pantry.
By working together, Avista was able to access
nearly 7,200 individuals in larger and more remote
areas including:
• Washington: Clark Fork, Ritzville, Elk, and Othello
• Idaho: Bolvill, Juliaetta, and Bonners Ferry
Energy Resource Van visitors are provided with samples
of low-cost energy saving items such as weather
stripping, plastic window seal kits, refrigerator coil
cleaners and energy tips. Energy Use Guides are
distributed to help provide continued learning and
references about tips that help manage energy and
informational materials about bill options and bill
assistance are also available.
Lowering the Barriers to Service
Percentage of Population Unserved in
Service Areas
The opportunity for electric and/or natural gas service is
available by law to all who request it within the areas
Avista serves in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.
Breaking Through the Language Barrier
Through our Customer Contact Center, Avista provides a
complimentary language line with quick access to an
interpreter 24 hours a day. It works by way of a three-
person conference call between our non-English
speaking customer, our customer service representative
and an interpreter. We can accommodate dozens of
languages, including Cambodian, Laotian, Russian,
Spanish and Vietnamese.
In addition, one of Avista’s engineers who speaks
Spanish serves as communication support at community
events and through direct customer outreach to ensure
we can communicate effectively with our customers and
provide them a high level of customer service.
Public Policy Participation
Public policy has an important role in shaping the
economic environment in which we work and live. As an
energy company, we are affected by the decisions made
by federal, state and local officials. In turn, these
decisions also affect our customers, employees and
shareholders. It is essential that we have a voice in the
public policy arena and that we participate in the
process for the benefit of all our stakeholders. Avista
actively participates in local, state and national legislative
and governmental activities. We work to develop
trusting and credible relationships with elected and
appointed office holders who determine public policy
affecting our company. It is appropriate and responsible
for the company, through shareholder dollars and the
employee-funded political action committee, to be
supportive of those individuals through political
contributions as one part of a comprehensive
government relations program.
Lobbying and Political Contributions
In 2015 we spent $514,719 on reportable lobbying
expenses at the federal and state levels to help promote
sound energy policy. In addition, $69,630 of our 2015
federal trade association dues were used for lobbying.
Avista, using general treasury funds, is legally prohibited
from contributing directly to political candidates for
elected federal offices and is also prohibited from
making such contributions in certain states. In 2015, we
contributed $181,230 in the states where we serve
customers and where such contributions are allowed.
Many of our employees are members of the Avista
Employees for Effective Government Political Action
Committee. It is a voluntary, non-partisan committee for
non-craft member employees. Through this PAC, our
employees contributed $13,295 to state and federal
candidates and political organizations in 2015.
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Philanthropy — Avista Foundation & Avista Corporation
2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
Health & Human Services $1,270,256 $765,111 $633,472 $624,966 $575,967
Education $435,169 $486,543 $249,605 $389,683 $227,073
Arts & Culture $148,418 $151,974 $152,765 $129,032 $178,202
Community Vitality $566,071 $417,198 $373,745 $300,650 $345,593
Youth Development $137,856 $195,724 $122,890 $144,392 $105,102
Environmental $24,439 $20,886 $42,000 $37,687 $42,373
Total Giving $2,582,209 $2,037,436 $1,574,477 $1,626,410 $1,474,310
Low Income and Senior Outreach — Energy Assistance
Energy Assistance* 2014/2015 2013/2014 2012/2013 2011/2012 2010/2011*
LIRAP Grants Made** $4,67 million $4.49 million $4.68 million $5.8 million $2.7 million
Project Share Grants Made $242,019.00 $569,042 $375,064 $269,380 $504,389
Avista Contributions to
Project Share*** $473,405.70 $494,313 $215,000 $215,000 $215,000
LIHEAP Grants Made**** $4,70 million $4.79 million $5,137,160 $9.2 million $10.8 million
* The energy assistance program year is October 1 through September 30
** LIRAP is only available in Washington and Oregon
*** Starting with 2013/2014 year employee and customer contributions were included in Project Share amount
**** Avista is an active partner in advocating for and facilitating the distribution of federal Low Income Heating Assistance (LIHEAP) funds
Community Partnership – By the numbers
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Our Company
We are a regulated business unit of Avista Corp., an investor-owned corporation
headquartered in Spokane, Wash. As one of the largest taxpayers in the region, paying
approximately $100 million in taxes annually, our economic impact supports family-
wage jobs in rural, suburban and urban communities in our 30,000 square-mile service
territory in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern
Oregon and Sanders County, Montana.
Over time, we’ve fostered a culture of innovation where employees are empowered to
explore new concepts and technologies as well as identify solutions and new ways of
doing things to find efficiencies for the company and our customers. We’ve maintained
a commitment to embracing the change that comes in our ever-evolving industry and
positioning ourselves to navigate this.
Avista is a utility that
generates and transmits
electricity and distributes
natural gas, while
providing innovative
energy solutions for our
residential, commercial
and industrial customers.
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To improve life’s quality with energy — safely, reliably, responsibly.
Certain principles have stood the test of time and remain deeply
rooted in our company. Every aspect of what we do is aligned
with these principles.
Trustworthy:
Our word is reliable; we do what is right.
Innovative:
We continuously improve and find better ways to get things done.
Collaborative:
We are respectful and are at our best when working together.
Our Lasting Principles
At Avista we are:
Our Purpose
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Our Employees
The culture at Avista is based on integrity and respect.
We offer employees the chance to enrich their careers
through challenging and meaningful work assignments
and ongoing training and development — all in an equal
opportunity workplace that is surrounded by a
supportive environment. Our success lies in hiring
talented people and setting them free to pursue great
ideas — ideas that engage the imagination, stretch us all
and ensure that Avista continues to provide exemplary
and cost-effective service to our customers.
• Approximately seven percent of employees system-
wide identify themselves as minority.
• Spokane County has approximately 10 percent
minority population in the workforce.
• Roughly 34 percent of our employees will be eligible
to retire in the next five years, and 51 percent will be
eligible to retire in the next 10 years. However, we’ve
been planning for this shift in our demographics for
many years. Through robust professional development
programs along with careful succession planning and
targeted and intentional recruitment efforts, we
continue to develop our workforce to keep ideas fresh
and leadership strong.
• Avista does periodic assessments of future retirement
scenarios to anticipate how to attract, retain and
develop critical talent needed for the continued
effective operation of the company.
Our Commitment to Diversity
Avista is enriched by the diversity of our employees.
We are committed to the goals of Equal Employment
Opportunity and Affirmative Action, maintaining an
environment of acceptance and inclusion for everyone in
all aspects of our daily operations. Our employees and
our company value diversity and mutual respect, and the
workplace is free from harassment and discrimination for
employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.
Working at Avista
Local Hiring
In an ongoing effort to recruit qualified local
employees, we:
• Post positions on local job web sites such as
Worksource (Washington) and Idahoworks (Idaho) as
well as through traditional and social media channels
(Facebook, Craigslist and LinkedIn) and on our
company website.
• Submit external job postings to more than 100
agencies across Washington, Idaho, Oregon and
Montana.
• Notify local schools of student employment
opportunities.
Of the 14 executive level officers employed by
Avista, nine were hired locally (from within the
Northwest region).
Collective Bargaining
At Avista, 39 percent of employees are covered by
collective bargaining agreements. Avista employees are
represented by the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers, Local 659 (Oregon) and Local 77
(Washington/Idaho).
Performance Reviews
All regular, non-bargaining unit employees receive
formal performance reviews on an annual basis and
updates at mid-year. Our union employees receive
periodic evaluations as needed.
Supporting Military Service
Avista’s policy is to grant military absence and military
time off without a break in service time or benefits, as
required by law and in accordance with the needs of
employees who are members of the military service.
• Avista has approximately 148 self-declared veterans of
military service, about nine percent of our work force.
• Avista works with local organizations to identify
opportunities to support veterans-to-work initiatives.
Avista staff attended the following career fairs: Hero 2
Hired, Airman and Family Readiness Center at
Fairchild Airforce Base, Fair at the Lair at SCC and the
Inland Northwest Hire Our Heroes. Staff also
continued Avista’s strong relationship with the Eastern
Washington University Veterans Resource Center and
planned a Careers in Energy Week event for job
developers who help veterans find meaningful
career opportunities.
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Who We Are
Board of Directors
• 4 females, 40 percent female*
• One of the 10 directors identifies as minority
Corporate Officers
• 3 females, 21 percent female
• No officers identify as a minority
• Of the top 6 executive officers, 2 are female
Employees
• 29 percent female, 71 percent male
• 7.0 percent identify as a minority
* While the national activist group 2020 Women on Boards call for at
least 20 percent of public company directors to be women by the year
2020, Avista already meets that standard. (Puget Sound Business
Journal, May 25-31, 2012)
Programs and Processes to Ensure
the Availability of Skilled Workforce
Avista Scholars Program
Avista partners with colleges and universities throughout
our three-state service territory to provide several
different scholarship opportunities for students.
The mission of the Avista Scholars program is to
promote excellence in the fields of math, science,
technology and engineering, leading students to
become innovators, problem solvers and diverse,
talented employees of our future. Through this program,
Avista is helping to ensure there is a skilled workforce
for the future.
A Training Partnership with the
Community Colleges
Avista continues a more than 20-year partnership with
Spokane Community College to offer a course that
provides an introduction to the electric lineman field
through the Line Pre-Apprentice Program. It is held at
Avista’s Jack Stewart Training Center, a 10-acre training
facility, and is open to individuals interested in entry-level
positions leading to careers in the electric line worker
craft and other utility-related professions. Participants
learn, through hands-on and classroom experience, the
skills and knowledge required for the position of a line
crew helper.
Apprenticeship Programs
As part of Avista’s commitment to workforce
development, we provide 11 active apprenticeship
programs. The programs, which typically take 2-4 years
to complete, provide participants living-wage jobs along
with the opportunity to advance within their field and at
Avista. With 11 programs, there are a wide-range of
focus areas, ranging from electric mechanic and lineman
to hydro and substation operator and communications
technician. There were 60 apprentices trained in 2015.
We support a culture of
continuous learning at Avista.
Our development opportunities
are created to prepare employees
at all levels to ensure we have the
skilled workforce we need now
and into the future.
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Student Engineering Development Program
As a part of ensuring a skilled workforce for the long-
term, Avista offers a Student Engineering Development
Program (SEDP) that provides a variety of opportunities
for engineering students to develop their engineering
skills, gain an insight into the energy industry, gain
valuable real-world experience and explore future
professional opportunities. Students spend the summer
working at Avista, where they participate in meaningful
projects, experience focused mentorship and prepare for
the next steps in their career. In 2015, 15 students
participated in the SEDP.
The program is mutually beneficial for local and regional
students and Avista as it provides us with employees
who can contribute to the overall success of the
department they are working for bringing in fresh new
ideas while giving us the link to the latest technology
being taught in our colleges. This program provides
students with an overview of what it’s like to work at
Avista and helps Avista build a strategic pipeline into our
Engineering Development Program (EDP).
Ongoing Training and Development
Opportunities
We support a culture of continuous learning at Avista.
Our development opportunities are created to prepare
employees at all levels to ensure we have the skilled
workforce we need now and into the future.
We develop training that is relevant, necessary and in
demand within the organization to help employees find
success within their jobs. Training for employees is
delivered through instructor-led, self-service,
computer-based, field and workshop models that
include topics such as: craft, customer service,
environmental, natural gas, desktop, warehouse, project
management, gas for non-gas workers, health and
safety, leadership development, electric, flagging/
forklift, line, apprentice, journeyman, power resources,
hydro and power supply.
Opportunities For Continued
Learning And Professional
Development
Aspiring Leaders Program
In its 14th year, the Aspiring Leaders Program provides
development for those employees preparing to be
considered for future leadership roles. This one-year
program provides qualified employees exposure to a
variety of departments, training, leadership, mentoring
and includes a team project.
College Tuition Aid
The company provides tuition assistance of up to $5,250
each year for undergraduate and master’s level studies
in programs that add to employees’ performance and
effectiveness in present or foreseeable jobs within
the company.
Learning Center
Avista’s Learning Center was established in 1998 to
promote lifelong learning for all employees. The center
focuses on being proactive in terms of training and
learning opportunities. Resources available include
audio/video media, books, journal/periodicals and self-
study courses.
Workshops, Classes and Development
Programs
Avista offers a series of workshops and classes that are
open to all employees as part of an overall professional
and leadership development program. Topics include
leadership enhancement, business process improvement
and leading change for understanding more about the
role of leadership, utility strategies and operations.
In addition to in-house courses, we also send staff to
classes offered through the Western Energy Institute,
American Gas Association, Edison Electric Institute,
University of Idaho, Willamette University, Gonzaga
University and others.
We develop training that is
relevant, necessary and in
demand within the
organization to help
employees find success
within their jobs.
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Safety and Health
A safe and healthy work environment is an essential
part of our commitment to all our employees.
This commitment is part of our culture and in recent
years there is dedicated focus on and increased
awareness about safety across the organization.
Implementation of efforts to enhance the safety of
employees have increased including communication,
training, behavior-based observation, and recognition for
safe behavior. A few examples of this include:
• Monthly safety meetings
• Weekly “Safety Huddles”
• Structured tailboard meetings at the start of each job
• Safety Alerts and “Heads Up” notices sent to
employees about potential safety concerns
• Safety medallion recognition for outstanding service
to safety
Every employee at Avista is a safety leader and each
person has a role in ensuring the safety of themselves
and those around them. This is a responsibility accepted
by all Avista employees. This responsibility includes the
authority to “Stop Work” without fear of reprimand or
retaliation whenever the work presents a danger to the
employee, co-workers or the public.
Avista’s Central Safety Council is committed to providing
the safest workplace possible and a safe environment.
The Council sets the company safety policy for our
employees, contractors and general public.
The Central Safety Council’s mission is to:
• Act as a forum to provide leadership and direction to
the safety efforts;
• Advocate the steps needed to achieve safety goals;
• Coordinate, monitor and focus on safety and
prevention;
• Ensure proper action will be taken to provide a safe
and healthy work environment for all our employees.
There are 37 location-specific safety committees and
safety chairpersons throughout the company. Safety
information is reported quarterly to Avista’s board of
directors;
• Ensure the resources are provided to achieve
the above.
Employee Emergency Preparedness
Avista uses the Incident Command System (ICS) to
deal with major events. The use of ICS provides for
better coordination of activities and reduces the
chance for error which can cause employee injuries in
these situations. During the historic Windstorm Event
in November 2015 there were no employee or
contractor injuries.
Health and Safety Topics Covered
In Formal Agreements with
Trade Unions
Avista follows all federal, state and local health and
safety regulations and compliance programs. We work
with our craft representatives to promote safety from the
foremen to their crews. Our Labor/Management
Committee meets quarterly or as needed to address
problems and concerns. The union contracts also include
grievance and arbitration language to deal with safety
concerns or complaints.
Policies and Requirements for Health
and Safety
Avista follows the requirements and guidance of
numerous regulatory agencies for employee safety,
including the United States Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA), Washington Division of
Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Oregon
Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Oregon
OSHA), and the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Our Incident Prevention Manual (IPM) serves as an
accident prevention plan covering safety rules and
practices for the different operating units. We conduct
numerous training programs internally and externally as
required for employee and contractor safety by OSHA,
DOT, DOSH and Oregon OSHA.
A combination of instructor-led, third-party and online
training programs are used throughout the year to keep
employees properly trained and safe.
Avista supplies personal protective equipment for
employees as needed for their work, including the tools,
equipment and machinery required to perform their jobs
safely. Ergonomic equipment is used whenever possible
to reduce potential injuries. Contractors and sub-
contractors are required to follow all regulatory rules
and regulations when working on Avista systems.
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Other programs that ensure a safe
workplace include:
• A substance abuse prevention program, including pre-
employment, random, for-cause and post-incident
segments;
• Operator Qualification training for gas employees to
ensure safe operation of gas systems;
• OSHA required training in craft work areas;
• Pre-job review and orientation for contractors
awarded bids on Avista properties;
• Tailboards prior to starting a job to ensure the crew
fully understands the job, hazards of the job, and the
measures put in place to address those hazards; and
• Crew visits by managers, directors, safety specialists
to review current work practices and provide coaching
to employees centered on getting the job done in a
safe manner.
Governance
Governance Structure
The board of directors of Avista Corp. has long adhered
to governance principles designed to assure the
continued vitality of the board in the execution of its
duties. The board is responsible for management
oversight and providing strategic guidance to the
company. The board believes that it must continue to
renew itself to ensure that its members understand the
industry and the markets in which the company
operates. The board also believes that it must remain
well informed about the positive and negative issues,
problems and challenges facing the company
and markets so that the board members can exercise
their fiduciary responsibilities to the company’s investors
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Communicating with the Board
Shareholders and other interested parties may send
correspondence to the board or individual directors
through the Avista Corporate Secretary’s office.
All communications will be forwarded to the person(s)
to whom it is addressed unless it is determined that the
communication does not relate to company or board
business, is an advertisement or other solicitation, is
frivolous or offensive, or is otherwise not appropriate
to deliver. Shareholder proposals, in writing, may be
delivered to the company’s Corporate Secretary.
Specific information about the process to do this can
be found in the company’s proxy statement.
Reporting Suspected Violations
The message hotline number (1-877-861-6690) provides
an alternate point of access for serious concerns
regarding possible breaches of the Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics, corporate policies, business ethics
or environmental practices (except environmental spills,
for which a specific phone number is provided).
and other shareholders. The board has six standing
committees: Audit Committee, Governance/Nominating
Committee, Compensation & Organization Committee,
Finance Committee, Environmental, Technology &
Operations Committee and Executive Committee.
Information about these committees is available online
at avistacorp.com.
Composition of the Board
According to the company’s Articles of Incorporation,
the board will consist of no more than 11 directors, as
determined by the board from time to time. The board
included 10 directors as of Dec. 31, 2015. The majority
of the board will consist of directors who meet
applicable independence requirements of the New York
Stock Exchange, which will be determined by the board
on an annual basis. Members of the board are elected
annually. The board does not have a policy as to whether
the role of CEO should be separate from that of
chairman. The board selects the chairman in a manner
that it determines to be in the best interests of the
company and its shareholders. This flexibility has allowed
the board to determine whether the role should be
separated based on the individuals serving and
circumstances existing at that time. The board believes
that it needs to retain the ability to balance the
independent board structure with the flexibility to
appoint as chairman someone with hands-on knowledge
of and experience in the operations of the company.
The board periodically examines its governance practices,
including the separation of the offices of chairman
and CEO.
Independence
It is the policy of the board that a majority of the
directors will be independent from management.
Independence determinations are made on an annual
basis at the time the board approves nominees for
election at the next annual meeting and, if a director
joins the board between annual meetings, at that time.
As of Dec. 31, 2015, of the 10 members of the board,
nine are independent. The chairman of the board is the
president and CEO of Avista Corp.
Code of Ethics
We strive to achieve the highest business and personal
ethical standards, as well as compliance with the laws
and regulations that apply to our business.
Business practices focused on Avista’s values of integrity
and principle-based conduct are essential for Avista’s
board and employees. The company’s Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics provides the framework for our
decisions and our operations. It is the obligation of every
member of the board and each officer and employee of
Avista to become familiar with the goals and policies of
the company and integrate them into every aspect of
our business. Our standard has been, and will continue
to be, that of the highest ethical conduct.
We strive to achieve the
highest business and
personal ethical standards,
as well as compliance with
the laws and regulations
that apply to our business.
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Compensation of Directors
Directors’ compensation is determined by the board,
based on recommendations of the Governance/
Nominating Committee. Members of management who
are also directors will not receive additional
compensation for their service as directors. The board
believes that it is important for the interests of the board
to be aligned with the company’s shareholders and,
accordingly, a portion of directors’ compensation will be
provided and must be held in company stock.
Conflicts of Interest
The company requires its board of directors, officers,
employees, consultants, representatives and agents to
avoid conflicts of interest, or even the appearance of
such, between their obligations to the company and
their personal affairs. None of these persons shall have
an interest, position or relationship with any person, firm
or corporation with whom the company does business
or competes, if such interest, position or relationship
would influence or might be likely to influence the
actions of such individual in the performance of his or
her duties.
Board Membership Criteria
The Governance/Nominating Committee annually
reviews with the board the composition of the board as
a whole and recommends, if necessary, steps to be
taken so that the board reflects the appropriate skills,
experience, attributes and characteristics required of
board members all in the context of an assessment of
the needs of the board and the company at the time.
In conducting this assessment, the committee considers
diversity, retirement age, skills, experience, expertise and
such other factors as it deems appropriate.
Say-on-Pay
Shareholders voted in 2011 to have the non-binding
advisory vote on the company’s executive compensation
program appear annually in the company’s proxy
statement. At the May 2015 annual meeting, Avista’s
shareholders approved the company’s executive
compensation program. Every six years shareholders will
have the opportunity to determine how frequently the
vote on “say on pay” will be included in the company’s
proxy statement.
Awards and Recognition
Avista was recognized as Philanthropic Corporation
of the Year by United Way of Spokane County
Emerging Leaders Society: Avista was recognized for a
commitment to sustaining our communities through a
focus on education, delivering programs that help
vulnerable and limited income customers, and by
investing in activities that enhance economic and
community vitality.
Avista received the 2015 Environmental Excellence
Award for Leading Environmental Practices from the
Association of Washington Business for our work in
phasing out PCBs in transformers throughout
our system.
Avista received an Agora award from Greater
Spokane Incorporated and was recognized for
business excellence in the Inland Northwest region and
the depth of investment Avista has made in the
community,as a corporation, and through support of
employee volunteerism.
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Initiatives Target Goal Actual Action
Customer Satisfaction Consistently maintain customer satisfaction as
measured through voice of the customer
90% satisfied
and very satisfied
Exceeded — 96%
System Reliability Reliability Index — three common industry indices: Customer
Average Interruption Duration — (CAIDI),
System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) and
Customer Experiencing Multiple Interruptions (CEMI3)
Reliability index
of 1.0 or better
Met — 1.0
Electric Energy Efficiency Achieve efficiency target to meet Washington
and Idaho Integrated Resource Plan Goals
56,200,400
kWh saved
Not met —
51,293,725
kWh saved
IRP Target set several years ago
and conditions have changed
Natural Gas Energy Efficiency Acquire cost-effective conservation to align
with the Washington Integrated Resource
Plan efficiency target
1,515,000
therms saved
Not met —
919,892
therms saved
Numbers expected to be
lower due to lower costs
of natural gas
Generation Plant Efficiency Ensure that generation, transmission and distribution
systems reliably and cost-effectively meet customer
energy requirements
93% availability Not met — 87.5% Complete generation plant
replacement projects
currently underway
Employee Engagement Maintain engagement drivers that keep our employees
involved and committed to Avista
75% engagement Exceeded — 81%
Our Company — By the numbers
Strategic Objectives
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Initiatives Target Goal Actual Action
Employee Recordable Injury
Rate (RIR)
Reduction in employee injury rate from previous
3 year average
5% reduction Exceeded — 41%
Reduction
Employee Recordable Injury
Rate (RIR)
Employee Lost Time Injury
Rate (LTIR)
Reduction in employee injury rate from previous
3 year average
5% reduction Exceeded — 66%
Reduction
Vehicle Accident Rate (VAR) Reduction in vehicle accident rate from previous
3 year average
5% reduction Not met + 1%
Increase
Increased emphasis on driver
safety including distracted
driving
Employee Volunteerism Be an integral part of the communities we serve and a
contributor in mutually beneficial ways
50,000 hours Not met — 48,500
hours
New volunteer engagement
website tool will be
implemented
Natural Gas Dig-Ins/1,000
Locates
Reduction in Dig-Ins/1,000 locates from the previous
3 year average
5% Reduction Exceeded — 19%
Reduction
Natural Gas Dig-Ins/1,000
Locates
Natural Gas Public Safety
Education
Maximize awareness and adoption of safe practices
that support our response to public safety
Improve performance
as compared to 2009
baseline
2015 Performance
continues to improve
as compared to 2009
baseline
Natural Gas Emergency
Response
Maximize awareness and adoption of safe practices that support
our response to public safety
Meet natural gas
response targets on
93% of calls
Exceeded — 97%
Strategic Objectives Continued
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92
2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Full-time 1,551 1,487 1,475 1,518 1,441 1,401
Part-time 96 95 97 77 84 75
Temporary 35 42 35 43 44 47
Student 20 16 23 25 9 12
Other - (Occasionals, Rehired Retirees) 9 12 13 9 16 19
1,711 1,652 1,643 1,672 1,594 1,554
Company contributions
to defined benefit
plan (pension) $12 million $32 million $44.26 million $44 million $26 million $21 million
Total Workforce by Employment Type as of Dec. 31, 2015
Safety
2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Vehicle Accident Rate (VAR)
Accidents/1,000,000 miles driven 6.78 4.16 9.29 10.11 8.33 7.97
Recordable Injury Rate (RIR)
Recordable injuries per 200,000
hours worked 3.35 4.71 5.11 6.64 7.45 6.22
Lost Time Injury Rate (LTIUR)
Lost-time injuries per 200,000
hours worked 0.81 1.42 2.55 2.11 2.58 2.54
Employee fatalities 0 0 0 0 0 0
Injuries to the public 0 1 5 1 3 2
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93
2015** 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Pre-Line School
Total students graduated 68 73 74 73 73 70
Hours of training 42,432 45,552 46,176 45,552 45,552 43,680
Credits awarded per student 49 49 49 49 49 49
Apprentices — All Crafts*
Total number of apprentices trained 60 80 64 59 41 48
Number of active programs 10 10 11 10 9 10
Hours of training on the job 124,800 166,400 133,120 120,640 85,280 99,840
Hours of classroom training 7,798 14,101 8,236 3,961 2,269 4,310
Journeyman Training
Electric/Generation 13,680 10,404 6,217 7,587 3,540 8,773*
Gas refresher — hours 2,752 2,251 2,248 1,417 1,565 1,840
* In 2010 Avista added crane operator training and certification, and fork lift training, dramatically increasing the number of training hours for apprentices.
** In 2015, there was a craft-wide push to train Journeymen and track their classroom hours.
Training Programs
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94
Global Reporting Initiative
The 2016 Shared Value Report aligns with the Global
Reporting Initiative G3 and Electric Utility Sector
Supplement. The standard disclosures and indicators
have not been verified externally by GRI, but they are
consistent with previous reports that have been verified
by GRI as application Level B.
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95
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
Strategy And Analysis
1.1 Statement from the most senior decision-maker
of the organization
Fully A Message from Our Leadership
1.2 Description of key impacts, risks, and opportunities Fully A Message from Our Leadership
Organizational Profile
2.1 Name of the organization Fully Our Company
2.2 Primary brands, products, and/or services Fully Our Company
2.3 Operational structure of the organization, including
main divisions, operating companies, subsidiaries,
and joint ventures
Fully Our Company
2.4 Location of organization's headquarters Fully Our Company
2.5 Number of countries where the organization operates, and names of
countries with either major operations or that are specifically relevant to
the sustainability issues covered in the report
Fully Our Company
2.6 Nature of ownership and legal form Fully Our Company
2.7 Markets served (including geographic breakdown, sectors served, and
types of customers/beneficiaries)
Fully Our Company
2.8 Scale of the reporting organization Fully Utility Operations — Organizational Profile
2.9 Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure,
or ownership
Fully About the Report
2.10 Awards received in the reporting period Fully Our Company — Awards & Recognitions
EU1 Installed capacity, broken down by primary energy source and by
regulatory regime
Fully Utility Operations — By the Numbers
EU2 Net energy output broken down by primary energy source and by
regulatory regime
Fully Utility Operations — By the Numbers
EU3 Number of residential, industrial, institutional and commercial customer
accounts
Fully Utility Operations — Organizational Profile
EU4 Length of above and underground transmission and distribution lines by
regulatory regime
Fully Utility Operations — By the Numbers
EU5 Allocation of CO2e emissions allowances or equivalent, broken down by
carbon trading framework
Fully Environmental Stewardship — By the Numbers
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96
Report Parameters
3.1 Reporting period (e.g., fiscal/calendar year) for information provided Fully About the Report
3.2 Date of most recent previous report (if any)Fully About the Report
3.3 Reporting cycle (annual, biennial, etc.)Fully About the Report
3.4 Contact point for questions regarding the report
or its contents
Fully About the Report
3.5 Process for defining report content Fully About the Report
3.6 Boundary of the report (e.g., countries, divisions, subsidiaries, leased
facilities, joint ventures, suppliers)
Fully About the Report
3.7 State any specific limitations on the scope or boundary
of the report
Fully About the Report
3.8 Basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities,
outsourced operations, and other entities that can significantly affect
comparability from period to period and/or between organizations
3.9 Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations, including
assumptions and techniques underlying estimations applied to the
compilation of the Indicators and other information in the report.
Explain any decisions not to apply, or to substantially diverge from, the
GRI Indicator Protocols.
Fully About the Report
3.10 Explanation of the effect of any re-statements of information provided
in earlier reports, and the reasons for such re-statement (e.g., mergers/
acquisitions, change of base years/periods, nature of business,
measurement methods)
3.11 Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope,
boundary, or measurement methods applied in the report
Fully About the Report
3.12 Table identifying the location of the Standard Disclosures in the report Fully Global Reporting Initiative
3.13 Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for
the report
Fully About the Report
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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97
Governance, Commitments And Engagements
4.1 Governance structure of the organization, including committees under
the highest governance body responsible for specific tasks, such as
setting strategy or organizational oversight
Fully Our Company — Governance
4.2 Indicate whether the chair of the highest governance body is also an
executive officer
Fully Our Company — Governance
4.3 For organizations that have a unitary board structure, state the number
of members of the highest governance body that are independent and/
or
non-executive members
Fully Our Company — Governance
4.4 Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide
recommendations or direction to the highest
governance body
Fully Our Company — Governance
4.5 Linkage between compensation for members of the highest governance
body, senior managers, and executives (including departure
arrangements), and the organization's performance (including social and
environmental performance)
Fully Our Company — Governance
4.6 Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of
interest are avoided
Fully Our Company — Governance
4.7 Process for determining the qualifications and expertise of the members
of the highest governance body for guiding the organization's strategy
on economic, environmental, and social topics
Fully Our Company — Governance
4.8 Internally developed statements of mission or values, codes of conduct,
and principles relevant to economic, environmental, and social
performance and the status of their implementation
Fully Our Company
4.9 Procedures of the highest governance body for overseeing the
organization's identification and management of economic,
environmental, and social performance, including relevant risks and
opportunities, and adherence or compliance with internationally agreed
standards, codes of conduct, and principles
Fully Our Company — Governance
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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98
4.10 Processes for evaluating the highest governance body's own
performance, particularly with respect to economic, environmental, and
social performance
Fully Our Company — Governance
4.11 Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or
principle is addressed by the organization
Fully 2015 Annual Report Form 10-K, Item I-A
4.12 Externally developed economic, environmental, and social charters,
principles, or other initiatives to which the organization subscribes or
endorses
Fully Community Partnership
4.13 Memberships in associations (such as industry associations) and/or
national/international advocacy organizations in which the organization:
Has positions in governance bodies; Participates in projects or
committees; Provides substantive funding beyond routine membership
dues; or Views membership as strategic
Fully Community Partnership
4.14 List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organization
4.15 Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to
engage
Fully Utility Operations — Engaging Our Stakeholders
4.16 Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of
engagement by type and by
stakeholder group
Fully Utility Operations — Engaging Our Stakeholders
4.17 Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder
engagement, and how the organization has responded to those key
topics and concerns, including through its reporting
Fully Utility Operations — Engaging Our Stakeholders
About the Report
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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99
Disclosure On Management Approach EC
Aspects Economic performance Fully Avista Corp. 2015 Annual Report
Market presence Fully Avista Corp. 2015 Annual Report
Indirect economic impacts Fully Avista Corp. 2015 Annual Report
Availability and reliability
EU6 Management approach to ensure short and long-term electricity
availability and reliability
Fully Utility Operations — Business Continuity Planning
Demand-side management
EU7 Demand-side management programs including residential, commercial,
institutional and industrial programs
Fully Utility Operations — Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Programs
EU7 System efficiency Fully Utility Operations
Research and development
EU8 Research and development activity and expenditure aimed at providing
reliable electricity and promoting sustainable development
Fully Utility Operations
Plant decommissioning
EU9 Provisions for decommissioning of nuclear power sites No Nuclear Power
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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100
Disclosure On Management Approach EN
Aspects Materials Fully Environmental Stewardship; Environmental Policy
Energy Fully Utility Operations — Energy Efficiency
and Conservation Programs
Water Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Stewardship of the Waterways
Biodiversity Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Stewardship of the Waterways
Emissions, effluents and waste Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Climate and Environmental Impacts
Products and services Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Climate and Environmental Impacts
Compliance Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Climate and Environmental Impacts
Transport Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Climate and Environmental Impacts
Overall
Disclosure On Management Approach LA
Aspects Employment
EU14 Programs and processes to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce Fully Our Company — Our Employees
EU15 Percentage of employees eligible to retire in the next 5 and 10 years
broken down by job category and by region
Fully Our Company — Our Employees
EU16 Policies and requirements regarding health and safety
of employees and employees of contractors
and subcontractors
Fully Our Company — Our Employees
Labor/management relations Fully Our Company — Our Employees
Occupational health and safety Fully Our Company — Our Employees
Training and education Fully Our Company — Our Employees
Diversity and equal opportunity Fully Our Company — Our Commitment to Diversity
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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101
Disclosure On Management Approach HR
Aspects Investment and procurement practices Fully Utility Operations — Supply Chain
Non-discrimination Fully Our Company — Our Commitment to Diversity
Freedom of association and collective bargaining Fully Our Company — Our Employees
Child labor
Forced and compulsory labor
Security practices
Indigenous rights Partially Environmental Stewardship — Stewardship
of the Waterways
Disclosure On Management Approach SO
Aspects Community
EU19 Stakeholder participation in the decision making
process related to energy planning and
infrastructure development
Fully Utility Operations — Engaging Our Stakeholders
About the Report
EU20 Approach to managing the impacts of displacement
Corruption Fully Our Company — Governance
Public policy Fully Community Partnership — Public Policy Participation
Anti-competitive behavior Fully Code of Business Conduct
Compliance Fully Code of Business Conduct
Disaster/Emergency planning and response Fully Utility Operations — Business Continuity Planning
EU21 Contingency planning measures, disaster/emergency management plan
and training programs, and recovery/restoration plans
Fully Utility Operations — Business Continuity Planning
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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102
Disclosure On Management Approach PR
Aspects Customer health and safety Fully Utility Operations
Product and service labelling Fully Utility Operations — Engaging Our Stakeholders
Marketing communications Fully Utility Operations — Engaging Our Stakeholders
Customer privacy Fully Avista Utilities Website
Compliance
Access
EU23 Programs, including those in partnership with government, to improve
or maintain access to electricity and customer support services
Fully Community Partnership — Low Income and Senior
Energy Assistance and Outreach
Provision of information
EU24 Practices to address language, cultural, low literacy and disability related
barriers to accessing and safely using electricity and customer support
services
Fully Community Partnership — Low Income and Senior
Energy Assistance and Outreach
Economic
Economic Performance
EC1 Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues,
operating costs, employee compensation, donations and other
community investments, retained earnings, and payments to capital
providers and governments
Fully Our Company — Organizational Profile;
Community Partnership
EC2 Financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the
organization's activities due to climate change
Fully Environmental Stewardship — Climate
and Environmental Impacts
EC3 Coverage of the organization's defined benefit
plan obligations
Fully Avista Corp 2015 10-K
EC4 Significant financial assistance received from government
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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103
Market Presence
EC5 Range of ratios of standard entry level wage compared to local
minimum wage at significant locations of operation
EC6 Policy, practices, and proportion of spending on locally-based suppliers
at significant locations of operation
Fully Utility Operations — Supply Chain
EC7 Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management hired
from the local community at significant locations of operation
Fully Our Company — Our Employees
Indirect Economic Impacts
EC8 Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services
provided primarily for public benefit through commercial, in-kind, or pro
bono engagement
Fully Community Partnership
EC9 Understanding and describing significant indirect economic impacts,
including the extent of impacts
Availability and Reliability
EU10 Planned capacity against projected electricity demand over the long
term, broken down by energy source and regulatory regime
Fully Utility Operations — Business Continuity Planning
System Efficiency
EU11 Average generation efficiency of thermal plants by energy source and
regulatory regime
Fully Utility Operations — By The Numbers
EU12 Transmission and distribution losses as a percentage of total energy
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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104
Environmental
Materials
EN1 Materials used by weight or volume Fully Utility Operations — By The Numbers
Energy
EN3 Direct energy consumption by primary energy source Fully Utility Operations — By The Numbers
EN4 Indirect energy consumption by primary source
EN5 Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements Fully Utility Operations — Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Programs
EN6 Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy based
products and services, and reductions in energy requirements as a result
of these initiatives
Fully Utility Operations — Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Programs
EN7 Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions
achieved
Water
EN8 Total water withdrawal by source
EN9 Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water
EN10 Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused
Biodiversity
EN11 Location and size of land owned, leased, managed in,
or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value
outside protected areas
Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Stewardship of the Waterways
EN12 Description of significant impacts of activities, products, and services on
biodiversity in protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value
outside protected areas
Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Stewardship of the Waterways
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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105
EU13 Biodiversity of offset habitats compared to the biodiversity of the
affected areas
EN13 Habitats protected or restored Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Stewardship of the Waterways
EN14 Strategies, current actions, and future plans for managing impacts on
biodiversity
Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Stewardship of the Waterways
EN15 Number of IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species
with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk
Emissions, Effluents and Waste
EN16 Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions
by weight
Fully Environmental Stewardship — By the Numbers
EN17 Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions
by weight
Fully Environmental Stewardship — By the Numbers
EN18 Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Climate and Environmental Impacts
EN19 Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight
EN20 NOx, SOx, and other significant air emissions by type and weight Fully Environmental Stewardship — By the Numbers
EN21 Total water discharge by quality and destination Fully Utility Operations — By The Numbers
EN22 Total weight of waste by type and disposal method
EN23 Total number and volume of significant spills
EN24 Weight of transported, imported, exported, or treated waste deemed
hazardous under the terms of the Basel Convention Annex I, II, III, and
VIII, and percentage of transported waste shipped internationally
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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EN25 Identity, size, protected status, and biodiversity value of water bodies
and related habitats significantly affected
by the reporting organization's discharges of water
and runoff
Products and Services
EN26 Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services,
and extent of impact mitigation
Fully Environmental Stewardship
EN27 Percentage of products sold and their packaging materials that are
reclaimed by category
Compliance
EN28 Monetary value of significant fines and total number
of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with environmental laws
and regulations
Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Environmental Fines and Sanctions
Transport
EN29 Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other
goods and materials used for the organization's operations, and
transporting members of the workforce
Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Climate and Environmental Impacts
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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Overall
EN30 Total environmental protection expenditures
and investments by type
Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Stewardship of the Waterways
Social: Labor Practices and Decent Work
Employment
LA1 Total workforce by employment type, employment contract, and region Fully Our Company — Our Employees
LA2 Total number and rate of employee turnover by age group, gender, and
region
EU17 Days worked by contractor and subcontractor
employees involved in construction, operation and maintenance
activities
EU18 Percentage of contractor and subcontractor employees that have
undergone relevant health and safety training
LA3 Benefits provided to full-time employees that are not provided to
temporary or part-time employees, by
major operations
Labor/Management Relations
LA4 Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements Fully Our Company — Our Employees
LA5 Minimum notice period(s) regarding significant operational changes,
including whether it is specified in collective agreements
Occupational Health and Safety
LA6 Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management-
worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on
occupational health and safety programs
Fully Our Company — Our Employees
LA7 Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days,
and absenteeism, and number of work-related
fatalities by region
Fully Our Company — By the Numbers
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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LA8 Education, training, counseling, prevention, and
risk-control programs in place to assist workforce members, their
families, or community members regarding serious diseases
Fully Our Company — Our Employees
LA9 Health and safety topics covered in formal agreements with trade unions Fully Our Company — Our Employees
Training and Education
LA10 Average hours of training per year per employee by employee category Partially Our Company — By the Numbers
LA11 Programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support the
continued employability of employees and assist them in managing
career endings
Fully Our Company — Our Employees
LA12 Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career
development reviews
Fully Our Company — Our Employees
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
LA13 Composition of governance bodies and breakdown
of employees per category according to gender,
age group, minority group membership, and other indicators of diversity
Fully Our Company — Our Employees
LA14 Ratio of basic salary of men to women by employee category
Social: Human Rights
Investment and Procurement Action
HR1 Percentage and total number of significant investment agreements that
include human rights clauses or that have undergone human rights
screening
HR2 Percentage of significant suppliers and contractors
that have undergone screening on human rights
and actions taken
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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HR3 Total hours of employee training on policies and procedures concerning
aspects of human rights that
are relevant to operations, including the percentage
of employees trained
Non-Discrimination
HR4 Total number of incidents of discrimination and
actions taken
Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining
HR5 Operations identified in which the right to exercise freedom of
association and collective bargaining may
be at significant risk, and actions taken to support
these rights
Child Labor
HR6 Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of child
labor, and measures taken to contribute to the elimination of child labor
Forced and Compulsory Labor
HR7 Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of forced or
compulsory labor, and measures to contribute to the elimination of
forced or compulsory labor
Security Practices
HR8 Percentage of security personnel trained in the organization's policies or
procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to
operations
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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Indigenous Rights
HR9 Total number of incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous
people and actions taken
Fully Environmental Stewardship —
Stewardship of the Waterways
Social: Society
Community
SO1 Nature, scope, and effectiveness of any programs
and practices that assess and manage the impacts
of operations on communities, including entering,
operating, and exiting
EU22 Number of people physically or economically displaced and
compensation, broken down by type of project
None has occurred
Corruption
SO2 Percentage and total number of business units analyzed for risks related
to corruption
SO3 Percentage of employees trained in organization's
anti-corruption policies and procedures
Fully All employees and new hires receive a copy of the Code
of Ethics, which is annually reviewed and updated.
SO4 Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption
Public Policy
SO5 Public policy positions and participation in public
policy development and lobbying
Fully Community Partnership — Public Policy Participation
SO6 Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties,
politicians, and related institutions
by country
Fully Community Partnership — Public Policy Participation
Anti-Competitive Behavior
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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SO7 Total number of legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust,
and monopoly practices and
their outcomes
Compliance
SO8 Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary
sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations
Social: Product Responsibility
Customer Health and Safety
PR1 Life cycle stages in which health and safety impacts of products and
services are assessed for improvement, and percentage of significant
products and services categories subject to such procedures
PR2 Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and
voluntary codes concerning health and safety impacts of products and
services during their life cycle, by type of outcomes
EU25 Number of injuries and fatalities to the public involving company assets,
including legal judgments, settlements and pending legal cases of
diseases
Product and Service Labeling
PR3 Type of product and service information required by procedures, and
percentage of significant products and services subject to such
information requirements
PR4 Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and
voluntary codes concerning product and service information and
labeling, by type of outcomes
PR5 Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys
measuring customer satisfaction
Fully Utility Operations
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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PR6 Programs for adherence to laws, standards, and voluntary codes related
to marketing communications, including advertising, promotion, and
sponsorship
Marketing Communications
PR7 Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and
voluntary codes concerning marketing communications, including
advertising, promotion, and sponsorship by type of outcomes
None
Customer Privacy
PR8 Total number of substantiated complaints regarding breaches of
customer privacy and losses of customer data
Compliance
PR9 Monetary value of significant fines for non-compliance with laws and
regulations concerning the provision and use of products and services
None
Access
EU26 Percentage of population unserved in licensed distribution or service
areas
Fully Community Partnership — Low Income and Senior
Energy Assistance and Outreach
EU27 Number of residential disconnections for non-payment, broken down by
duration of disconnection and by regulatory regime
EU28 Power outage frequency Fully Utility Operations — By the Numbers
EU29 Average power outage duration Fully Utility Operations — By the Numbers
EU30 Average plant availability factor by energy source and by regulatory
regime
Fully Utility Operations — By the Numbers
Indicator Description Reported Report Section(s)
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