20170123_5187.pdf

DECISION MEMORANDUM 1
DECISION MEMORANDUM

TO: COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
COMMISSIONER RAPER
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON
COMMISSION SECRETARY
COMMISSION STAFF

FROM: CAMILLE CHRISTEN
DAPHNE HUANG
DEPUTY ATTORNEYS GENERAL

DATE: JANUARY 20, 2017

SUBJECT: PROPOSED SCHEDULE FROM INFORMAL SCHEDULING
CONFERENCE IN IDAHO POWER’S APPLICATION FOR WOOD
RIVER VALLEY CPCN, CASE NO. IPC-E-16-28

On November 8, 2016, Idaho Power Company filed an Application for a Certificate
of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to make system improvements and to secure
adequate and reliable service to customers in the Wood River Valley. The Company wishes to
construct a new 138 kilovolt (kV) transmission line and related facilities “to provide redundant
service from the Wood River substation near Hailey into the Ketchum substation,” and asks that
the CPCN permit the particular line route and facilities identified in testimony accompanying the
Application. Application at 1-2.
The Commission issued a Notice of Application and set a deadline for Petitions to
Intervene. Order No. 33657. The Commission granted timely intervention petitions from Kiki
Tidwell, Laura Midgeley, the Sierra Club, the Idaho Conservation League, and the City of
Ketchum. Order Nos. 33675, 33683. On January 13, 2017, CoxCom, LLC filed a petition
requesting late intervention, which is pending.
The parties conferred informally and agreed – or did not object – to a technical
hearing before the Commission, with the following proposed schedule, subject to the
Commission’s approval:
May 5, 2017 Staff’s and Intervenors’ prefiled direct testimony
June 23, 2017 All parties’ rebuttal filing
July 14, 2017 Company sur-rebuttal filing
DECISION MEMORANDUM 2
Date for Technical Hearing: The parties discussed scheduling the technical hearing
for the week of August 7, 2017, and agreed more specifically to August 7-8, 2017. It has since
come to Staff’s attention that the Commission may prefer to schedule the technical hearing for
August 8-9, 2017.
Public Hearing: Staff proposes holding a public hearing for the Company’s
customers at a date and time to be determined.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Commission issue a Notice of Schedule and Notice of
Technical Hearing adopting the parties’ proposed schedule above for filing of direct, rebuttal and
sur-rebuttal testimony, setting August 8-9, 2017, for a technical hearing, and indicating that the
notice of a public hearing will be issued later. Staff has confirmed that Blaine County, the City
of Sun Valley, and other local government agencies were sent copies of the Notice of
Application in this case on November 29, 2016. Thus, Staff believes these agencies have been
given notice of their opportunity to appear before or consult with the Commission. See Idaho
Code § 67-6528. Nonetheless, Staff suggests that the Commission direct the Commission
Secretary to send copies of its Notice of Schedule and Notice of Technical Hearing to the
potentially affected governmental agencies to provide additional notice of their opportunity to
appear before or consult with the Commission regarding this case.
COMMISSION DECISION
1. Does the Commission wish to issue a Notice of Schedule and Notice of Technical
Hearing that adopts the schedule recommended by Staff and notes that a public hearing for
customers will be scheduled at a later date? Does the Commission wish to adopt a different
schedule?
2. Does the Commission wish to direct the Commission Secretary to send a copy of
the Order to the City of Sun Valley, Blaine County, and any other potentially affected
governmental agency?
Camille Christen
Daphne Huang
Deputy Attorneys General

M:IPC-E-16-28_cc