20200707_ej5.pdf

DECISION MEMORANDUM 1
DECISION MEMORANDUM

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

FROM: EDWARD JEWELL
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL

DATE: JULY 2, 2020

SUBJECT: IN THE MATTER OF IDAHO POWER’S APPLICATION FOR A
VALIDATED ECONOMIC CLOSURE DATE FOR NORTH VALMY
POWER PLANT UNIT 2; CASE NO. IPC-E-19-18.

On June 27, 2019, Idaho Power Company (“Idaho Power” or “Company”) submitted
an Application requesting the Commission acknowledge the Company sufficiently validated
December 31, 2025 as the economic retirement date for Unit 2 of the North Valmy power plant.
On August 13, 2019, the Commission issued a Notice of Application but did not
determine a procedure or set a timeline to process this case because the Company had notified the
Commission that it would need additional time to perform supplemental analysis related to the
long-term capacity expansion model used in the Company’s Integrated Resource Plan (“IRP”),
which Commission Staff indicated might impact the economic analysis conducted in this case.
Order No. 34398.
On January 31, 2020, Idaho Power submitted its amended 2019 IRP.
On March 6, 2020, the Commission issued a Notice of Intervention Deadline. Order
No. 34575. Industrial Customers of Idaho Power and Idaho Conservation League timely
intervened.
On May 19, 2020, the Commission issued a Notice of Modified Procedure establishing
an August 19, 2020 comment deadline and a September 2, 2020 reply comment deadline. Order
No. 34672.
On May 22, 2020, the Company provided supplemental direct testimony.
On July 1, 2020, the Company filed a Motion to Suspend Procedural Schedule.
DECISION MEMORANDUM 2

MOTION TO SUSPEND PROCEDURAL SCHEDULE
The Company states, “While Idaho Power has previously supplemented the initial
filing, and has provided further corrections and revisions, the Company has continued to identify
additional issues that require additional diligence to ensure accuracy of certain aspects of the IRP
analysis and resulting analyses performed with respect to the economic closure of Valmy.” Motion
at 1. The Company states it is conducting a comprehensive review of its amended IRP. Id. at 4.
The Company anticipates the review will take 2-3 weeks, and at that time it will propose a new
procedural schedule. Id. at 5.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Commission vacate the established comment deadlines until
establish new comment deadlines after the Company concludes its internal audit and files an
update.
COMMISSION DECISION
Does the Commission wish to vacate the comment deadlines in this case?

__________________________
Edward J. Jewell
Deputy Attorney General

I:\Legal\ELECTRIC\IPC-E-19-18\memos\IPCE1918_dec memo 4_ej.docx