20060724_1626.pdf

DECISION MEMORANDUM
TO:CO MMISSI 0 NER KJELLAND ER
COMMISSIONER SMITH
COMMISSIONER HANSEN
COMMISSION SECRETARY
LEGAL
WORKING FILE
FROM:WAYNE HART
DATE:JULY 21 , 2006
RE:ACIFICORP TARIFF ADVICE CHANGING TIME OF DAY
SCHEDULES TO ACCOMMODATE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
CHANGES. TARIFF ADVICE NO. 06-05.
BACKGROUND
On July 5, 2006, PacifiCorp (dba Rocky Mountain Power) submitted a tariff advice to
change the schedules for the Company s time of day (TOD) rates. The change is in response to
the u.S. Energy Policy Act of2005 (ACT), which extends the daylight savings time (DST)
period for three to four weeks in the spring and a week in the fall. The ACT provides that the
Department of Energy is to submit a report to Congress after the first year of the extended DST
period and that Congress explicitly retained a right to revert to the current DST period.
PacifiCorp provides service under TOD rates to over sixteen thousand customers and the
majority ofthe Company s TOD meters use electronic clocks that would have to be manually
reprogrammed to include the extended DST periods. The Company estimates this would cost
approximately $2.3 million. The Company is especially reluctant to incur this expense given the
possibility that the DST changes may be only temporary.
In the alternative, the Company proposes adjusting the time periods to begin and end one
hour later for the TOD rates during the four to five weeks of the extended DST schedule.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The Company contacted Staff from the Consumer Section when it became aware of this
problem and Staff worked with the Company in developing this proposal. The Company
DECISION MEMORANDUM JULY 21 , 2006
reluctance to incur the costs of reprogramming, especially given the uncertainty of the new DST
schedule appears to be prudent.
Customer education will be important in order to minimize confusion over the changing
time periods. Staff notes the Company has agreed to allow Staff to review customer education
materials before they are sent to consumers.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff supports the proposed change in this tariff advice.
COMMISSION DECISION
Does the Commission wish to approve PacifiCorp Tariff Advice No. 06-05?
i:udmemos/pac tod ta 06
DECISION MEMORANDUM JULY 21 , 2006