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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230705IPC to Staff 3-6_8_10-16_18-20_22-29_31-32_34-36.pdf LISA D. NORDSTROM Lead Counsel lnordstrom@idahopower.com July 5, 2023 VIA ELECTRONIC FILING Jan Noriyuki, Secretary Idaho Public Utilities Commission 11331 W. Chinden Blvd., Bldg 8, Suite 201-A (83714) PO Box 83720 Boise, Idaho 83720-0074 Re: Case No. IPC-E-23-11 Idaho Power Company’s General Rate Case Dear Ms. Noriyuki: Enclosed for electronic filing, please find Idaho Power Company’s Response to Requests Numbers 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, and 36 to the First Production Request of the Commission Staff to Idaho Power Company. Due to the collectively voluminous confidential and non-confidential information provided in response to data requests in this case, the Company is posting the attachments to these requests to the secure FTP site to allow parties to view the requested information remotely unless otherwise noted in the response. Because certain attachments contain confidential information, the FTP site is divided between confidential and non-confidential information. The login information for the non-confidential portion of the FTP site has been provided to all parties that have intervened to date. The login information for the confidential portion of the FTP site has been provided the parties that have executed the Protective Agreement in this matter. If you have any questions about the attached filing, please do not hesitate to contact me. Very truly yours, Lisa D. Nordstrom LDN:sg Enclosures RECEIVED 2023 JULY 5, 2023 4:44PM IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION CERTIFICATE OF ATTORNEY ASSERTION THAT INFORMATION CONTAINED IN AN IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION FILING IS PROTECTED FROM PUBLIC INSPECTION Case No. IPC-E-23-11 In the Matter of the Application of Idaho Power Company for Authority to Increase Its Rates and Charges for Electric Service to Its Customers In the State of Idaho and For Associated Regulatory Accounting Treatment The undersigned attorney, in accordance with Commission Rules of Procedure 67, believes that all of the attachments in Response to Requests Nos. 5, 6g, 6i,13, 14, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 32, and 36 to Idaho Power Company’s Response to the First Production Request of the Commission Staff dated July 5, 2023, contain information that Idaho Power Company and a third party claim are trade secrets, business records of a private enterprise require by law to be submitted to or inspected by a public agency, and/or public records exempt from disclosure by state or federal law (material nonpublic information under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Regulation FD) as described in Idaho Code § 74-101, et seq., and/or § 48-801, et seq. As such, it is protected from public disclosure and exempt from public inspection, examination, or copying. DATED this 5th day of July, 2023. LISA D. NORDSTROM Counsel for Idaho Power Company IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 1 LISA D. NORDSTROM (ISB No. 5733) DONOVAN E. WALKER (ISB No. 5921) MEGAN GOICOECHEA ALLEN (ISB No. 7623) Idaho Power Company 1221 West Idaho Street (83702) P.O. Box 70 Boise, Idaho 83707 Telephone: (208) 388-5825 Facsimile: (208) 388-6936 lnordstrom@idahopower.com dwalker@idahopower.com mgoicoecheaallen@idahopower.com Attorneys for Idaho Power Company BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF IDAHO POWER COMPANY FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES AND CHARGES FOR ELECTRIC SERVICE IN THE STATE OF IDAHO AND FOR ASSOCIATED REGULATORY ACCOUNTING TREATMENT. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) CASE NO. IPC-E-23-11 IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF TO IDAHO POWER COMPANY COMES NOW, Idaho Power Company (“Idaho Power” or “Company”), and in response to the First Production Request of the Commission Staff (“Commission” or “Staff”) dated June 13, 2023, herewith submits the following information: IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 2 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 3: Please provide all workpapers and exhibits in Excel format with formulas intact and enabled. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 3: The workpapers and exhibits were provided to the Commission on June 7, 2023. The response to this Request is sponsored by Stacy Gust, Regulatory Administrative Assistant, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 3 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 4: Please provide the revenue requirement model in Excel format with formulas intact and enabled. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 4: Please see the Excel file attached, labeled “Attachment – Response to Staff Request No. 4_Exhibit 35 – JSS – 2023 Test Year.” The response to this Request is sponsored by Kelley Noe, Regulatory Consultant, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 4 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 5: Please provide a list of all outside attorneys who performed services for the Company or who were paid by the Company for services from the beginning of 2021 through 2023 to date. Please list the amounts paid, accounts charged, and date of payment. Please also provide a brief summary of the services performed. Additionally, if services were performed in support of a docketed federal/state court or regulatory action, please identify the case name, case number, and jurisdiction. For each expense, please illustrate how the charge was allocated to the Company's jurisdictions. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 5: Please see the Excel file attached, labeled “Confidential Attachment 1 - Response to Staff Request No. 5 - Damage Claims Outside Attorney Fees” for a list of outside attorneys who were paid by the Company for services related to damage claims, from January 1, 2021, through May 31, 2023, including the amounts paid, accounts charged and a brief summary of the services performed. Additionally, please see the file labeled “Confidential Attachment 2 - Response to Staff Request No. 5 - External Legal” for a list of outside attorneys who were paid by the Company for all other legal services from January 1, 2021, through May 31, 2023, including the amounts paid, accounts charged, and a brief summary of the services performed. Account 107 is construction work-in-progress (“CWIP”), which is not included in rate base. Several of the capital projects included in this response that have incurred outside legal fees are not yet in service (i.e., not requested for recovery in this case) including B2H and Hells Canyon Relicensing. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 5 The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 6 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 6: Please provide the total amount that the Company spent on the following activities for 2020 through 2023 to date and show how the Company allocated the amounts between jurisdictions: a. Internal auditing expenses; b. The Company's annual report; c. Rating agencies; d. All software or information system-related issues; e. Board of Directors compensation, travel expenses, and meeting expenses f. Corporate or chartered aircraft(s), if applicable g. Travel and training for all shared executives of the Company and affiliates; h. Insurance coverage; i. Overhead items including utilities, property taxes, security services, and other corporate headquarter expenses; and j. All other allocated expenses. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 6: b. The Company's annual report; Year Idaho Power Expense Idaho Jurisdictional Allocation Idaho Jurisdictional Share 2023 $ 48,241 95.64% $ 46,138 2022 36,378 95.64% 34,972 2021 28,911 95.64% 27,650 2020 23,166 95.64% 22,156 g. Travel and training for all shared executives of the Company and affiliates; IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 7 Travel and training O&M expenses for Idaho Power Company executives that were also IDACORP, Inc. executives from January 1, 2020, through May 31, 2023, are included within the detail of company vehicles, other transportation expense, personal vehicles, business meals, lodging, airfare, service club and employee memberships, and registration fees, professional memberships and licenses cost elements as shown in 'Confidential Attachment - Response to Staff Request No. 6g'. Corporate airplane expenses associated with Idaho Power Company executives that were also IDACORP, Inc. executives from January 1, 2020, through May 31, 2023, have not been included in the 'Confidential Attachment - Response to Staff Request No. 6g' as corporate airplane expenses are separately provided as part of the response to Request No. 6f. This detail includes transactions that were removed from the 2022 base financial information, as described in Paula Jeppsen Exhibit No. 23, Pages 4-9. i. Overhead items including utilities, property taxes, security services, and other corporate headquarter expenses. Please see the confidential attachment labeled “Confidential Attachment - Response to Staff Request No. 6i”. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 8 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 8: Please provide access to all employee newsletters published in 2021 through 2023 to date. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 8: Please see the PDF files attached labeled “Attachment 1 – Response to Staff Request No. 8_2021 News Scans,” “Attachment 2 – Response to Staff Request No. 8_2022 News Scans,” and “Attachment 3 – Response to Staff Request No. 8_2023 News Scans.” The response to this Request is sponsored by Erica Shiflet, Corporate Communications Manager, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 9 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 10: Please provide an analysis of any sales of land and/or plant for the years 2021 through 2023 to date, if any. Please show gains, losses, and supporting documentation including accounting entries for removal of items from rate base. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 10: From 2021 through May 31, 2023, Idaho Power had one property sales transaction that was the result of a road widening project. On December 17, 2021, the Ada County Highway District acquired a strip of Idaho Power land located at the Hillsdale substation to allow for the installation of a roundabout at the intersection of Eagle and Amity Roads in Ada County. Following this sale, Idaho Power retired the land and associated site improvements from plant reflecting net gains within FERC account 421.1 Gain on Disposition of Property and 108 Accumulated Provision for Depreciation of Electric Plant in Service, respectively. The entries booked for this sale transaction are summarized below. Dr. 131 Cash 8,813.00 Cr. 101 Electric Plant In Service (1,588.94) Cr. 421.1 Gain on Disposition of Property (7,224.06) To record the sale of land and the associated gain resulting from proceeds in excess of historical cost within FERC account 421.1. Dr. 131 Cash 5,977.00 Cr. 101 Electric Plant In Service (4,972.22) Cr. 108 Accumulated Provision for Depreciation (1,004.78) To record the sale of land improvements with the variance in sale proceeds and historical cost reflected in FERC account 108. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 10 In accordance with the accounting information detailed above these amounts are not included in the Company’s 2023 test year. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 11 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 11: Please provide the details of any planned sales of land and/or plant for the remainder of 2023 through 2025. Please include within your response the estimated date of these sales and planned accounting treatment. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 11: At this time, there are two potential sales transactions that Idaho Power is considering for the remainder of 2023 through 2025. 1. Ritter Island Land – This transaction is currently under review as part of a pending case (No. IPC-E-23-07) with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. The anticipated retirement of the Ritter Island land is included within the Company’s 2023 test year plant activity and is therefore excluded from the Company’s rate base in this case. 2. Donnelly McCall Transmission Land – Idaho Power has been contacted by an adjacent landowner seeking to purchase 1.23 acres of transmission land in Valley County. The Company is evaluating the potential sale of this land, while still retaining easement rights for future transmission needs. To record the conveyance of land, the original cost of $1,320.05 would be removed from FERC account 105 Electric Plant Held for Future Use. Any proceeds above and beyond the original cost would be applied to FERC account 411.6 Gain from Disposition of Utility Plant. Estimated proceeds are not expected to exceed $8,000 and the estimated timing of sale could be around November 2023, allowing time for Idaho Public Utilities Commission review and consideration as part of a separate case filing should the sales transaction be pursued. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 12 The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 13 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 12: Please provide a list of "out-of-period adjustments" and "extraordinary items" for the years 2021 through 2023 to date. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 12: For the years 2021 through 2023 to date, there were no “out-of-period adjustments”, except those identified in the Company’s response to Request No. 18. There were no “extraordinary items” for the years 2021 through 2023 to date. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 14 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 13: Please provide a schedule showing injuries and damages claims over $1,000 for the years 2021 through 2023 to date. Please include within your response the description of each item, the amount for each item, and the account charged. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 13: Please see the attached confidential Excel file, labeled “Confidential Attachment – Response to Staff Request No. 13”. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 15 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 14: Please provide the details of all advertising expenses recorded above the line including account and subaccounts where posted, dates posted, vendor names, explanations, and amounts posted during 2021 through 2023 to date. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 14: Please see ‘Confidential Attachment - Response to Staff Request No. 14’ for all advertising O&M expenses, including description, date, and account posted from January 1, 2021, through May 31, 2023. Advertising expenses charged to Account 930100 were removed entirely from the rate case request. See Paula Jeppsen Exhibit No. 23, Page 1. These amounts include advertising expenses associated with employment recruiting. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 16 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 15: Please provide copies of all advertisements used during 2021 through 2023 to date and correlate the advertisement with the specific detail provided in the Company's response to Request No. 13. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 15: Please see the files attached (Attachments 1 – 119) for all advertisements. “Attachment 1 - Response to Staff Request No. 15 Finance Details 2021-2023” shows the details also provided with Request No. 14. The correlating ads can be found either in the corresponding PDF for a particular year (“Attachment 02 – Response to Staff Request No. 15 2021AdsWithCharges,” “Attachment 39 – Response to Staff Request No. 15 2022AdsWithCharges,” and “Attachment 84 – Response to Staff Request No. 15 2023AdsWithCharges”) or in the individual attachments with the corresponding file name as indicated in the Excel spreadsheet in Attachment 1. Additional advertisements are provided that do not have above the line charges. The response to this Request is sponsored by Erica Shiflet, Corporate Communications Manager, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 17 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 16: Please provide copies of all billing inserts for 2021 through 2023 to date. Please indicate the states where they were sent. Please also provide a schedule showing the amount and account numbers charged for all costs to produce, print, and distribute the inserts. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 16: Please see the Excel and PDF files attached labeled “Attachment 1 – Response to Staff Request No. 16 Finance Details,” “Attachment 2 – Response to Staff Request No. 16 2021 Bill Inserts,” “Attachment 3 – Response to Staff Request No. 16 2022 Bill Inserts,” and “Attachment 4 – Response to Staff Request No. 16 2023 Bill Inserts.” Each bill insert on the Excel spreadsheet references a page number in the PDF that corresponds to the year of the insert. The response to this Request is sponsored by Erica Shiflet, Corporate Communications Manager, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 18 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 18: Please provide a copy of each adjusting journal entry proposed by the Company's independent auditors in the last two audits of the Company. Please include within your response the documentation supporting these adjustments, and the documentation supporting any items that the Company decided not to adjust that are not reflected in the Company's financial records and/or financial statements. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 18: Through the 2022 and 2021 annual integrated financial statement audits, the Company’s independent auditors, Deloitte & Touche LLP, did not propose any adjusting journal entries that were not already identified through the Company’s own internal control processes. The following adjusting journal entries that were identified through the Company’s internal control processes but not initially recorded by the Company nor reflected in the Company’s financial records and/or financial statements for the respective years. These entries were recorded in the associated subsequent quarter.  December 2022  Western Energy Imbalance Market invoice timing - Idaho Power receives weekly invoices from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) for activity related to Idaho Power’s participation in the energy imbalance market in the western United States (“Western EIM”). These invoices contain activity on a one-to-two-week lag, with additional true-ups continuing for several months on subsequent invoices. Idaho Power is required to allocate portions of the invoice to certain transmission customers. Idaho Power’s accounting policy is to record the activity from the invoice in the period the invoice is IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 19 received. Due to an increase in Western EIM volumes and historically volatile energy prices in December 2022, the amounts on the January 2023 invoices related to December 2022 were larger than typical true-up amounts. Because Idaho Power did not record this activity in December 2022, it resulted in an understatement of purchased power expense, transmission wheeling revenues, accounts payable, accounts receivable, power cost adjustment (“PCA”) regulatory asset, and the PCA income statement impact. The adjusting entry to record the activity would be as follows (in thousands): Purchased power expense $ 5,671 Accounts payable $ (5,671) Accounts receivable $ 2,276 Operating revenues $ (2,276) Regulatory assets $ 5,112 Power cost adjustment (income statement) $ (5,112) The net after-tax impact would have increased Idaho Power’s net income by $1.3 million, which management determined was immaterial. These amounts were recorded in the first quarter of 2023.  December 2021 Quarterly accounts payable cut-off procedures - On a quarterly basis, as part of Idaho Power’s control framework, Financial Accounting personnel work with Company personnel to accrue for services performed or supplies received before the balance sheet date for which payment has not been made or for which invoices have not been received. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 20 Also, Accounts Payable reviews invoices received after closing to determine whether they should have been accrued in the reporting period. For the fourth quarter of 2021, these processes resulted in the identification of transactions that were over-accrued and transactions that were under-accrued. The net of these transactions is reflected in the adjusting entry below (in thousands). Accounts payable $ 74 Other operations and maintenance $ 272 Fleet clearing accounts $ 559 Construction work in progress $ (905)  Work order not placed in service - An environmental project was completed during the year in 2021 but the work order did not get placed in service for accounting purposes. The entry to place the work order in service is as follows (in thousands): Plant in service $ 856 AFUDC $ 54 Construction work in progress $ (910) The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 21 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 19: Please provide a list of all leased items from 2021 through 2023 to date. Please separate capital leases from operating leases and show the dates, terms, amounts, and accounts used for each lease. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 19: To account for leases in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), Idaho Power follows the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842. Under ASC 842, Idaho Power does not have any material agreements that qualify as capital or operating leases in the requested time period. Idaho Power does, however, maintain listings of agreements that it is required to provide to state taxing jurisdictions for property tax purposes. A summary of information from these listings is included in the attached confidential Excel file, labeled “Confidential Attachment – Response to Staff Request No. 19”. These listings exclude easements or month-to- month construction equipment rentals as the Company does not have GAAP or tax reporting requirements for those types of agreements and, as a result, the Company does not maintain complete listings of such agreements. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 22 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 20: Please provide a schedule of prepaid items for 2021 through 2023 to date showing amounts posted, vendor names, explanations, and accounts to which these items were booked. Please include within your response any significant changes to prepaid items occurring or planned to occur in 2023 and 2024. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 20: Please see “Confidential Attachment - Response to Staff No. 20”. The Company is not currently aware of any current or upcoming significant changes to prepaid items. Prepaid amounts are not included in the rate case request. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 23 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 22: Please provide the following monthly direct labor related information as recorded for 2018 through 2023 to date. Information, where applicable, should be listed by O&M expense, other expense, construction and other account groups (listed by functional categories, i.e., generation, transmission, distribution, customer, A&G, etc.). Please provide the information on a system-wide basis, and jurisdiction basis. The response should include wages and salaries for each employee category (officer, exempt, non-exempt, and union), paid time-off, overtime, bonuses, incentive pay, and overheads for pension, benefits, and payroll taxes. Please also include average and year-end number of employees by employee category. Include part-time and temporary employees as full-time equivalents. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 22: Please see “Confidential Attachment - Response to Staff Request No. 22”. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 24 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 23: Please provide the quantifiable savings from any cost/workforce reduction programs during the past five years. Please provide any additional workforce reduction programs planned for the remainder of 2023 through 2025. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 23: Workforce reduction is not a reasonable assumption for a growing utility like Idaho Power; however, Idaho Power diligently manages its workforce and associated cost. Because Idaho Power has been in a growth period over the last five years, cost savings resulting from diligent workforce management represent more of an avoided cost than a cost reduction. Idaho Power applies a consistent practice of evaluating every vacant position before refilling. The outcomes of these evaluations include positions not being filled, positions being repurposed or filled differently, or replaced in the same capacity. This has allowed the Company to have a relatively stable level of headcount since the last General Rate Case (“GRC”) despite significant customer growth and necessary changes to how Idaho Power must operate in an evolving energy landscape. By repurposing positions, the Company has been able to adapt to technology and business process modifications with minimal need for net-new headcount. The Company’s efforts related to workforce management have significantly benefited customers by helping delay a GRC for 12 years, and the practice will continue into the future as part of our overall focus on managing costs. As mentioned, quantifying this is difficult but the overall headcount numbers are a compelling demonstration of these efforts. Managing the size of the workforce since 2011 has been very challenging as our number of customers has grown by over 26 percent. In IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 25 August of 2011, when the last GRC was being processed, the Company had 2,073 employees. In March of 2023 when the company calculated the payroll estimate for the current filing, there were 2,075 employees, an addition of only two employees. If the workforce would have grown at the same pace as customer growth over the last 12 years, the Company’s workforce would have increased by 539 employees. This demonstrates Idaho Power’s ongoing focus and diligence related to managing its labor resources. The response to this Request is sponsored by Sarah Griffin, VP Human Resources, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 26 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 24: Please provide the yearly percentage pay rate increase by employee and position since the last general rate case. Please provide in Excel format with formulas intact. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 24: Please see the attached Excel file, labeled “Confidential Attachment – Response to Staff Request No. 24.” The attachment includes active employees of Idaho Power from January 2012 to June 2023, excluding seasonal employees as they are not eligible for pay increase. The increase percentage information is reported by employee, as that is consistent with how Idaho Power tracks pay rate increases. There is data for any year that the employee was an active employee of the Company. Annual pay increase percentages will vary based on several factors. All employees are eligible for an annual General Wage Adjustment (“GWA”), employees who are still progressing to the top of their pay grade (median of market) are eligible for Merit Salary Increases (“MSI”) every six months until they reach top of grade. Employees may have an increase due to promotional opportunities, either through a competitive process or promotion within a job family. Employees can also experience a reduction in pay based on movement to a lower paying role, demotion based on performance, or when a market evaluation results in a grade decrease. It is important to note that the percentage changes in pay reflected in the attachment do not have a direct correlation with a change in total labor costs because of employee turnover and other factors. The response to this Request is sponsored by Sarah Griffin, VP Human Resources, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 27 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 25: Please summarize all benefit and retirement plans provided to any classification of Company employees. Please also include any changes that have occurred to the benefits/accruals during the past five years. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 25: Please see the attached PDF file, labeled “Confidential Attachment – Response to Staff Request No. 25”. The response to this Request is sponsored by Sarah Griffin, VP, Human Resources, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 28 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 26: Please provide copies of the Company's pension and actuarial reports for the years 2018 through 2023 to date. Also, please provide any actuarial calculations and documentation that show the development of FAS 87 expenses (ASC 715 Compensation - Retirement Benefits as codified), Company contributions, balances, and assumptions. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 26: Please see the three attached confidential files which include actuarial valuation and accounting disclosure reports from Milliman for the Company’s pension plan for the years 2018 through 2022 along with Milliman’s cover letter (Confidential Attachment 1 - Response to Staff Request No. 26) regarding the use of its reports. These confidential reports are being provided subject to the Protective Agreement. For context, the actuarial valuation reports (Confidential Attachment 2 - Response to Staff Request No. 26, in chronological order) are prepared by Milliman and provided to the Company during the year to which each one pertains and are dated January 1 of their respective years. The actuarial valuation report as of January 1, 2023, has not yet been completed by Milliman but will be provided once it becomes available. Among other information these actuarial valuation reports include the development of net periodic pension cost (SFAS 87 expense), amounts contributed during the year, and description of the plan’s actuarial assumptions. The accounting disclosure reports (Confidential Attachment 3 - Response to Staff Request No. 26, in chronological order) are prepared and provided to the Company by Milliman in January of the year following the year to which they pertain and provide the balances for purposes of recording the GAAP funded status of the plan along with a IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 29 preliminary estimate of the net periodic pension cost for the subsequent year. The accounting disclosure report for 2023 will not be completed until January 2024. As a reminder, and as described in the Direct Testimony of Company witness Matthew T. Larkin, Idaho Power’s recovery of pension costs is based upon cash contributions to the plan. SFAS 87 expense is deferred to a regulatory asset and does not directly impact the income statement or the Company’s revenue requirement. Recovery of pension costs is based upon amortization from the Company’s pension contribution balancing account. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 30 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 27: Please provide access to the Board of Directors' meeting minutes for each meeting held during 2020 through 2023 to date. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 27: The requested information is highly confidential. It will be made available to Staff at Idaho Power's corporate headquarters. Please contact Tami White at (208) 388-6938 or David Fewkes at (208) 388-2628 to arrange a time to review the requested material. The response to this Request is sponsored by Cheryl Thompson, Lead Counsel and Deputy Corporate Secretary, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 31 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 28: Please provide copies of the Board of Directors' materials distributed for/at meetings held from 2020 through 2023 to date. Please also include the same for the Compensation Committee. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 28: The requested information is highly confidential. It will be made available to Staff at Idaho Power's corporate headquarters. Please contact Tami White at (208) 388-6938 or David Fewkes at (208) 388-2628 to arrange a time to review the requested material. The response to this Request is co-sponsored by Sarah Griffin, VP Human Resources, Idaho Power Company, and Cheryl Thompson, Lead Counsel and Deputy Corporate Secretary, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 32 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 29: To the extent not previously included in the Company's responses to these Staff Production Requests, please provide access to copies of all studies used to determine employee compensation, including executive compensation, and explanations of how the Company applied them in the years 2020 through 2023 to date. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 29: The survey data supporting the studies is provided only to companies that participate in the surveys conducted by independent consulting firms and that information/data is considered the confidential and proprietary work product of the consulting firms and will be made available for review on-site. Additionally, all internal compensation studies, as described below, are considered highly confidential and will be made available for review on-site. Please contact Tami White at (208) 388-6938 or David Fewkes at (208) 388-2628 to arrange a time to review the requested material. The following is an overview of the compensation setting processes and studies that the Company performs to determine appropriate and competitive compensation levels and an overview of the philosophy and methodology associated with each process. General Wage Adjustment (“GWA”) – Each year the Company reviews numerous data sources and other factors to help determine the annual GWA recommendation. These include salary surveys, union contracts, cost of living and Idaho economic factors, recruiting and retention concerns, as well as exit interview data. The Company’s analysis incorporates all this information and is presented to the Compensation and Human Resources Committee of the board of directors in November of each year. Once the recommendation is approved by the Committee, the GWA is applied to all eligible IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 33 employee’s wages for the first applicable paycheck of the new year. GWA analyses from 2020 to 2023 will be made available for on-sight review. Employee Job Profile Reviews – Idaho Power proactively reviews existing jobs within the Company to ensure positions remain on-market with wages, as well as to address any recruiting and retention concerns. The Company also reviews newly requested jobs that come at the recommendation of the internal Compensation Review Committee (“CRC”). During a job profile review, Idaho Power works with the group leader(s) to evaluate the job description, physical requirements, competencies, and wages for the role. Following the wage review, any applicable grade changes are applied to the impacted employees. If the result is a grade increase to the role, employees who are not yet at the top of their grade will generally move laterally pay-wise into the new grade and remain on their current merit schedule. Employees at top of their grade and performing well are eligible for a pay increase as of the effective date of the change. If the result is a grade reduction, impacted employees enter a Reduction in Grade (“RIG”) program, which varies based on the situation. The Company documents each recommendation with a ‘Decision Memo’ that contains information for the review/request, market data, internal equity, and often includes specific employee information. Executive Compensation Annual Review – An annual market review for each officer position is presented to the Compensation & Human Resources Committee of the board of directors in November. The market compensation analysis is used to determine a market compensation range for each of the executive officers for base salary, short- term incentive compensation, and long-term incentive compensation. The survey data reviewed is comprised of three separate sets of company types (peer group, Investor- IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 34 Owned Utility (“IOU”) group, and general industry) for each executive officer (where data is available). Next, each element of compensation is reviewed (including the total target direct compensation) for each of the executive officers to ensure it is within the targeted range of 85 to 115 percent of the median of each data set. An individual executive officer’s compensation may be positioned above or below the market level based on several factors such as: level of experience, responsibility, performance, the degree of comparability between Idaho Power’s executive officer role and the roles of persons with similar positions within the review set of companies, and internal equity considerations. The Compensation and Human Resources Committee of the board of directors uses its judgment and the feedback from Idaho Power’s Chief Executive Officer on executive officer performance in assessing these factors to determine how an executive officer's compensation should align relative to the market level. Compensation recommendations are not made until the February meeting, following the calendar year to assess each officer’s performance and goal completion. Any compensation changes are then processed with a retroactive effective date to the beginning of the year. Senior Manager Biennial Wage Review –A biennial wage review is completed for all senior manager and attorney positions. This is a process where, similar to the employee job profile reviews, Human Resources engages leadership in the survey match validation process before gathering market data. Once the market data is assembled, base salary, short-term incentive target, long-term incentive target, total target cash, and total target direct compensation are reviewed/analyzed to determine if the Company’s positions are leveled and compensated appropriately. Any potential changes are IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 35 discussed with executive leadership to determine next steps and to further evaluate other factors such as internal equity, recruiting, or retention concerns. If there are any compensation and leveling changes, they are implemented with the upcoming year’s compensation recommendations which occurs in February, alongside the officer compensation changes. The most recent reviews were completed in 2020 and 2022. Annual Senior Manager/Attorney Salary Structure Review - The salary structure levels for senior managers and attorneys are evaluated on an annual basis. The review is performed using salary survey data and factors in wage compression concerns related to movement of the employee wage structure. Recommended increases to structure are reviewed by executive leadership and the revised structures are used for senior manager/attorney compensation changes which occurs in February of each year (with a retroactive effective date to the beginning of the year). While the GWA is applied to all eligible employee wages, the percent for the senior manager and attorney structure movement is not applied uniformly to senior manager/attorney compensation. Individual senior manager and attorney increases are determined based on budget, performance, internal equity, and placement within the salary structure. The response to this Request is sponsored by Sarah Griffin, VP Human Resources, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 36 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 31: Please provide a copy of the Company's credit card, or purchase card, policy. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 31: Please see “Attachment - Response to Staff Request No. 31”. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 37 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 32: Please provide statements for any Company credit cards that include spending during 2022 through 2023 to date. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 32: Please see “Confidential Attachment 1 - Response to Staff Request No. 32 - 2022” and “Confidential Attachment 2 – Response to Staff Request No. 32 – 2023”. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 38 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 34: Please describe the Company's method for developing, managing, executing, and completing Capital Projects in a least cost manner. Please provide a copy of Company's policies and procedures documenting the process. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 34: Idaho Power utilizes an annual capital budget process. Capital budgets are generally project based. Managers submit capital project proposals for senior management review. The capital projects are reviewed and approved by the executive management team. The capital budget is then reviewed and approved by the Idaho Power Board of Directors. Because Idaho Power has an obligation to serve and most projects are required to maintain reliability or serve load, there is not one standard way the Company evaluates each project. Individual facts and circumstances determine how projects are executed in a prudent manner. Additionally, Idaho Power has a Procurement Policy and a Procurement Standard in place to provide guidance for procurement activities including competitive bidding practices and to help ensure that procurement decisions are made based on the best overall value to Idaho Power and its customers. A copy of Idaho Power’s Procurement Policy is attached as Attachment 1- Response to Staff Request No. 34. A copy of Idaho Power’s Procurement Standard is attached as Attachment 2-Response to Staff Request No. 34. Idaho Power monitors its capital budget monthly through variance analysis reporting and quarterly through budget update analysis and reporting. Please see Idaho Power’s Response to Staff Request No. 37 for copies of Idaho Power’s variance reports for 2018 through May 2023. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 39 The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 40 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 35: Please provide an Excel file with formulas intact and enabled showing all capital projects completed, by year, from 2012 through 2023 to date. For each project, please include the following: name or title, number or identifier, in-service date, cost-of service classification, description, rationale analysis or business need, target start date, actual start date, target completion date, actual completion date, estimated cost, budgeted cost, actual cost, if a cost benefit analysis was performed, if the work was primarily completed by employees or contractors, and if a request-for-proposal was performed. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 35: Please see Confidential Attachment 1-Response to Staff Request No. 35 containing all readily available requested information for the approximately 115,000 capital projects completed over the requested time period. This includes Work Order Number, Work Order Description, Budget ID, In- service Date, Amount, Actual Start Date, and Business Need on the first tab of Attachment 1 labeled ‘Work Orders’. On the second tab of Attachment 1 labeled ‘Budget’ Idaho Power has provided actual and budget amounts for all budget IDs that had a work order listed on the first tab of Attachment 1. It should be noted that a budget ID can have multiple work orders. Some projects are not budgeted, such as individual road widening projects and individual emergency reconstruction projects. The list of completed projects excludes Boardman, Bridger and Valmy power plant projects because those projects were evaluated as part of each of their respective regulatory filings. For class cost-of-service classification of the completed projects, fixed plant has been classified as either demand or customer for the respective functionalized cost as described in the Class Cost-of-Service Process Guide exhibit to Company Witness Pawel IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 41 Goralski’s testimony.1 For additional project-specific information not included in the attached file, Idaho Power requests that Staff identify a sample for which Idaho Power will manually gather the requested information. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. 1 In the Matter of the Application of Idaho Power Company for Authority to Increase its Rates and Charges for Electric Service in the State of Idaho and for Associated Regulatory Accounting Treatment, Case No. IPC-E-23-11, Goralski DI, Exhibit No. 36. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 42 REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 36: Please provide a detailed Excel file of the 2023 capital expenditure budget including name or title, number or identifier, in-service date, cost-of-service classification, description, rationale analysis or business need, target start date, actual start date (if started prior to 2023), target completion date, actual completion date (if completed in 2023), estimated cost, budgeted cost, actual cost, if a cost benefit analysis was performed, if the work was primarily completed by employees or contractors, and if a request-for-proposal was performed. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PRODUCTION NO. 36: Please see Confidential Attachment 1-Response to Staff Request No. 36 containing all readily available requested information for the approximately 800 2023 budgeted capital projects. This includes Budget ID, Name/Title, Projected In-service Date, Description, Business Need, Estimated/Budgeted Cost, Actual Project Start Date, Actual In-service Date and Actual Cost (2023 through May). For class cost-of-service classification of the 2023 capital expenditure budget, fixed plant has been classified as either demand or customer for the respective functionalized cost as described in the Class Cost-of-Service Process Guide exhibit to Company Witness Pawel Goralski’s testimony.2 For additional project-specific information not included in the attached file, Idaho Power requests that Staff identify a sample for which Idaho Power will manually gather the requested information. The response to this Request is sponsored by Paula Jeppsen, Forecasting and Planning Director, Idaho Power Company. 2 In the Matter of the Application of Idaho Power Company for Authority to Increase its Rates and Charges for Electric Service in the State of Idaho and for Associated Regulatory Accounting Treatment, Case No. IPC-E-23-11, Goralski DI, Exhibit No. 36. IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 43 DATED at Boise, Idaho, this 5th day of July 2023. LISA D. NORDSTROM Attorney for Idaho Power Company DONOVAN E. WALKER Attorney for Idaho Power Company MEGAN GOICOECHEA ALLEN Attorney for Idaho Power Company IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 44 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I HEREBY CERTIFY that on the 5th day of July 2023, I served a true and correct copy of Idaho Power Company’s Response to the First Production Request of the Commission Staff to Idaho Power Company upon the following named parties by the method indicated below, and addressed to the following: Commission Staff Dayn Hardie Chris Burdin Deputy Attorney General Idaho Public Utilities Commission 11331 W. Chinden Blvd., Bldg No. 8 Suite 201-A (83714) PO Box 83720 Boise, ID 83720-0074 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email Dayn.Hardie@puc.idaho.gov Chris.Burdin@puc.idaho.gov Clean Energy Opportunities for Idaho Kelsey Jae Law for Conscious Leadership 920 N. Clover Dr. Boise, ID 83703 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email Kelsey@kelseyjae.com Courtney White Mike Heckler Clean Energy Opportunities for Idaho 3778 Plantation River Drive, Suite 102 Boise, ID 83703 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email courtney@cleanenergyopportunities.com mike@cleanenergyopportunities.com Industrial Customers of Idaho Power Peter J. Richardson Richardson Adams, PLLC 515 N. 27th Street Boise, Idaho 83702 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email peter@richardsonadams.com IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 45 Dr. Don Reading 280 Silverwood Way Eagle, Idaho 83616 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email dreading@mindspring.com Idaho Irrigation Pumpers Association, Inc. Eric L. Olsen ECHO HAWK & OLSEN, PLLC 505 Pershing Avenue, Suite 100 P.O. Box 6119 Pocatello, Idaho 83205 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email elo@echohawk.com Lance Kaufman, Ph.D. 2623 NW Bluebell Place Corvallis, OR 97330 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email lance@aegisinsight.com Micron Technology, Inc. Austin Rueschhoff Thorvald A. Nelson Austin W. Jensen Holland & Hart, LLP 555 Seventeenth Street, Suite 3200 Denver, Colorado 80202 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email darueschhoff@hollandhart.com tnelson@hollandhart.com awjensen@hollandhart.com aclee@hollandhart.com Jim Swier Micron Technology, Inc. 8000 South Federal Way Boise, Idaho 83707 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email jswier@micron.com IDAHO POWER COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF - 46 City of Boise Ed Jewell Darrell Early Boise City Attorney’s Office 150 N. Capitol Blvd. Boise, ID 83701 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email ejewell@cityofboise.org dearly@cityofboise.org boca@cityofboise.org Wil Gehl Boise City Dept. of Public Works 150 N. Capitol Blvd. P.O. Box 500 Boise, Idaho 83701-0500 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email wgehl@cityofboise.org Idaho Conservation League Marie Callaway Kellner Idaho Conservation League 710 N. 6th Street Boise, Idaho 83702 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email mkellner@idahoconservation.org Brad Heusinkveld Idaho Conservation League 710 N. 6th Street Boise, Idaho 83702 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email bheusinkveld@idahoconservation.org IdaHydro C. Tom Arkoosh Arkoosh Law Offices 913 W. River Street, Suite 450 P.O. Box 2900 Boise, Idaho 83701 Hand Delivered U.S. Mail Overnight Mail FAX FTP Site X Email tom.arkoosh@arkoosh.com erin.cecil@arkoosh.com Stacy Gust, Regulatory Administrative Assistant