HomeMy WebLinkAbout20001004Decision Memo in Response to Original Petition.pdfDECISION MEMORANDUM
TO:COMMISSIONER HANSEN"-
COMMISSIONER SMITH---
COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER -
JEAN JEWELL~
RANDY LOBB
DAVID SCHUNKE
DON HOWELL
SCOTT WOODBURY
BILL EASTLAKE
TERRI CARLOCK'
JUDY STOKES
BEVERL Y BARKER
RON LA W
TONY A CLARK
WORKING FILE
FROM:KEITH HESSING
DATE:OCTOBER 4, 2000
RE:PETITION FROM THE CUSTOMERS OF ATLANTA POWER
COMPANY.
On September 11 , 2000, the Commission received a petition from some of the residents
of Atlanta, Idaho, enumerating concerns they have about the service being provided by Atlanta
Power Company. The Commission Staff reviewed the many signatures on the petition and
identified the names of six customers of record. Some ofthe others apparently are not customers
while others are members of households where one member is the customer of record. A copy of
the filed petition is attached to this memorandum.
The petition requests "a forn1al investigation into the reliability of electrical service for
the Atlanta townsite." The petitioners state they "have experienced problems with both the
consistency and quality of the electrical power provided." The petitioners further state that these
same problems have been brought up before and that they remain unresolved.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff contends that it is premature to open a formal investigation at this time. Staff
proposes to conduct an informal investigation into the reliability of service. As part of that
DECISION MEMORANDUM OCTOBER 4, 2000
investigation the Commission Staff proposes to audit the Company, compile outage information
identify potential improvements and associated costs and survey customers concerning their desire
to improve service reliability and the amount they are willing to pay to do so. At the conclusion of
its investigation Staff proposes to report its findings to the Commission with recommendations for \
further action. Staff estimates that the investigation will take approximately four months.
COMMISSION DECISION
Staff proposes to conduct an informal investigation of the electric service provided by
Atlanta Power Company and to submit a written report to the Commission with recommendations
for further action. Does the Commission agree with Staffs proposal?
Attachment
KH:gdk:i:dmemos/decision memorandum
DECISION MEMORANDUM OCTOBER 4, 2000
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Commission Secretary
P. U. C.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-074
August 25 , 2000
Dear Secretary of the Commission:
The following citizens of Atlanta, Idaho hereby request a formal investigation into
the quality of eledricalservice for the Atlanta townsite. We have experienced
problems with both the consistency and quality of the electrical power provided.
the P.c. deems it useful to hold a meeting or a hearing, we request that the
meeting be held in Atlanta so that the maximum number of citizens can attend.
As far as we know, we pay the highest rate per kilowatt hour of any consumers of
electricity in the United States. Yet, over time, we have experienced problemswhich have not been resolved.
We havethe following needs.
. Consistent, quality power
Resolution of any power outages or other problems in a timely, responsivemanner.
. An accessible person to address electrical outages and other problems.
. A pre-arranged and adequately trained person to back-up up the primary personresponsible for power.
Both people need to have been pre-cleared to do their duties. In other wordsthey should not be placed in the position of being afraid to act because of
potential liability issues for attempting to fix the power source.
Thank you.
commission Secretary
P. U. C.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-074
August 25, 2000
Dear Secretary of the Commission:
The following citizens of Atlanta, Idaho hereby request a formal
investigation into the quality of electrical service for the Atlanta
townsite. We have experienced problems with both the consistency and
quali ty of the electrical power provided. If the P. U . C. deems ituseful to
hold a meeting or a hearing, we request that the meeting be held inAtlanta
so that the maximum number of citizens can attend.
As far as we know~ we pay the highest rate per kilowatt hour of any
cc~~umer~ of electricity in the U~it~d States. Yet over time , we have
experienced problems which have not been resolved.
We have the following needs.
. Consistent, quality power
. Resolution of any power outages or other problems in a timely,responsi ve
manner.
. An accessible person to address electrical outages and otherproblems.
. A pre-arranged and adequately trained person to back-up up the
primary
person responsible for power.
. Both people need to have been pre-cleared to do their duties. Inother
words, they should not be placed in the position of being afraid to act
because of potential liabili#y issues for attempting to fix the powersource.
Thank yoU. We look forward to your response to our concerns.
Anne Aastum
Property Owner, Davis Addition
Atlanta, Idaho
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Mailing Address:
6710 Randolph Drive
Boise, ill 83709
Mailing Address:
6710 Randolph Drive
Boise, ill 83709
Commission Secretary
P. U. C.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-074
August 25, 2000
Dear Secretary of the Commission:
The following citizens of Atlanta, Idaho hereby request a formal investigation into
the quality of electrical service for the Atlanta townsite. We have experiencedproblems with both the consistency and quality of the electrical power provided. If
the P.c. deems it useful to hold a meeting or a hearing, we request that the
meeting be held in Atlanta so that the maximum number of citizens can attend.
As far as we know, we pay the highest rate per kilowatt hour of any consumers of
electricity in the United States. More importantly, we pay a
service charge for theavailability of power (on top of the base rate for power). Yet, power is not alwaysavailable, so we are paying for goods not been received. This is different from anyother power company in the U.S. (and we aren t receiving quality service.) Yetover time, we have experienced problems which have not been resolved.
We have the following needs.
. Consistent, quality power. (During most of the month of May, the town waswithout reliable power. Atlanta has also experienced a variety of emergencies
for which power was essential but not consistently available. The
firestorms areonly a recent example. Because the town water association was unable to
secure a reliable source of quality power that met state compliance guidelines
the asssociation eventually changed to solar power.
Resolution of any power outages or other problems in a timely, responsive
manner.
. An accessible person to address electrical outages and other problems.
. A pre-arranged and adequately trained person to back-up up the primary person
responsible for power.
Both people need to have been pre-cleared to do their duties. In other words
they should not be placed in the position of being afraid to act because of
potential liability issues for attempting to fix the power source.
Thank you. We look forward to your response to our concerns.
, '--,. --y '-./'
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Commission Secretary
P. U. C.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise,IO 83720-074 /'
Dear Secretary of the Commission:
The following citizens of Atlanta, Idaho hereby r~st a formal investigation intothe quai ity of electrical service for the Atlanta tow site. We have experienced
problems with both the consistency and quality the electrical power provided. If
the P.c. deems it useful to hold a meeting or hearing, we request that themeeting be held in Atlanta so that the maximu number of citizens can attend.
August 25,2000
As far as we know, we pay the highest rate p kilowatt hour of any consumers of
electricity in the United States. Yet, over tim , we have experienced problemswhich have not been resolved.
We have the following needs.
. Consistent, quality power
Resolution of any power outages or her. problems in a timely, responsivemanner.
. An accessible person to address el ical outages and other problems.
. A pre-arranged and adequately trai ed person to back-up up the primary personresponsible for power.
Both people need to have been pr leafed to do their duties. In other words
they should not be placed in the osition of being afraid to act because of
potentialliabi1ity issues for attem ting to fix the power source.
Thank you, We look forward to yo r response to our :ncern
'7~
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Commission Secretary
P. U. C.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-074
August 2000
Dear Secretary of the Commission:
The fOllowing dtizens of Atlanta, Idaho hereby
request a formal investigation intothe Quality of electrical service for the Atlanta townsite.
We have experiencedproblems with both the consistency and quality of the electrical power provided.
the P.C. deems it useful to hold a meeting or a hearing, we request that the
meeting be held in Atlanta so that the maximum number of citizens can attend.
, ,
As far as we know, we pay the highestrate per kilowatt hour of any
consumers ofelectricity in the United States. More importantly, we pay a
service charge for theavailability of power (on top of the base rate for power).
Yet, power is not alwaysavailable, so we are paying for goods not been received. This is
different from anyother power company in the U.S. (and we aren t receiving Quality service.) Yet,over time, we have experienced problems which have not been resolved.
. .
We have the following_needs.
Consistent, quality power. (During most of the month of May, the town waswithout power. Atlanta has also experienced a variety of emergencies for whichpower was essential but not consistently available.
The firestorms are only arecent example. Because the town water association was unable to secure areliable source of quality power that met state compliance guidelines
, theasssociation eventually changed to solar power.
Resolution of any power outages or other problems
in a timely, responsivemanner.
. An accessible person to address electrical outages and other problems.
. A pre-arranged and adequately trained person to back-up up the primary personresponsible for power.
Both people need to have been pre.cleared to do their duties.
In other wordsthey should not be placed In the position of being
an-aid to act because of
t,#,-J:potential liability issues for attempting 10 fix the power source.
, . " " ~,
FT" /1 - Thank you. We ~k forward to ~ur response to our ~ncerns
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Commission Secretary
P. U. C.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, 10 83720-074
August 25, 2000
Dear Secretary of the Commission:
The following citizens of Atlanta, Idaho hereby request a formal.investigation intothe quality of electrical service for the Atlanta townsite. We have experiencedproblems with both the consistency and quality of the electrical power provided.
the P.c. deems it useful to hold a meeting or a hearing, we request that themeeting be held in Atlanta so that the maximum number of citizens can attend,
As far as we know, we pay the highest rate per kilowatt hour of any consumers of
electricity in the United States. More importantly, we pay a
service charge for theavailability of power (on top of the base rate for power). Yet
, power is not alwaysavailable, s6 we are paying for goods not been received. Thi~ is different from anyother power company in the U.S. (and we aren t receiving quality service.) Yetover time, we have experienced problems which have not been resolved.
We have the following needs.
Consistent, quality power. (During most of the month of May, the town waswithout power. Atlanta has also experienced a variety of emergencies for which
power was essential but not consistently available. The firestorms are only arecent example. Because the town water association was unable to secure a
reliable SOurce of quality power that met 5tate compliance guidelines, theasssociation eventually changed to solar power.
Resolution of any power outages or other problems in a timely, responsive
manner.
. An accessible person to address electrical outages and other problems.
. A pre-arranged and adequately trained person to back-up up the primary person
responsible for power.
Both people need to have been pre-cleared to do their duties. In other words
they should not be placed in the position of being afraid to act because of
potential liability issues for attempting to fix the power source.
C::-tY~
ADDENDUMTO 8-25-00 LETTER:
EXAMPLES of our concerns include the following.
NO BACK-UP GENERATOR:
It is our understanding from speaking with a P.c. employee that a back-upgenerator was included in the current rates which were set in 1992 or 1993. (Threediesel generators were put into the rate base but have not remained in the
community, and the generator that was iast here was not maintained so it no longer
works.) When one of us asked Mr. Stevenson about his having a back-up generator
he said we would have to take up a collection from the citizens, which is aninappropriate response because (1) According to a P.c. employee, threegenerators were put"into the rate base, and (2) Mr. Stevenson cannot raise the rateswithout going through due process, as established by the P.c. (He cannotunilaterally raise our rates.
Not only do .we pay the highest rates per kilowatt hour of any area that we have
researched in the U. S., Mr. Stevenson s business has grown due to increasedconstruction and repairs in the area, mining tailings repair work, and hooking up
new residents. More importantly, we pay a service charge for the availability ofpower (on top of the base rate for power). Yet, power is not always available, sowe are paying for goods not received. This is different from any other power
company in the U.S. (and we aren t receiving quality service.
Mr. Stevenson said in a telephone conversation on 8-15-00 that the increased loadfrom new construction in the area is causing a problem. In the same conversationhe said that he is not receiving enough business to provide a back-up generator.
Obviously, these two statements are inconsistent.
WE FREQUENTLY DO NOT HAVE A RELIABLE TROUBLE-SHOOTER.
Mr. Gill appears to know a good deal when he is available, however, he is a manwith many jobs and is not always accessible. A recent example is that on 7-31-Mr. Gill was working on one of his private jobs. The power was out for 3 hours
and the citizens could not locate Mr. Gill. (This also happened during 8-13-00 to 8-16-00, as elaborated below.
There is no trained , reliable back-up person to solve problems in Mr. Gill'sabsence.
When we once again requested that Mr. Stevenson handle this ongoing problemhe said it was up to Mr. Gill to trouble-shoot. he also remarked that he has nowrealized the problem and will handle it. We ve previously received this responseand would like to see problem-solving occur this time before the next crisis.
Why are the above issues a problem? The most recent example is described below:
00:
The power went out about 3:00 m. and was out until about 8:30
8- 14-00:
Electricity out by 10:00 m. and not back on until about 6:00 Mr. Gill would be on vacation for several more days. Although at least one local
citizen asked Mr. Gill to ensure that a backup was trained before he left town, nolocal citizen was designated as a backup person who felt comfortable going onto
ine power plant property and taking care of things in Dave s absence.
8- 1 00:
Electricity out by 9:4.5 a.m. and not on the rest of the day.
c. Uudy) was told by Lynn Stevenson that we d have electricity by evening, butwe didn t. In the late morning, Mr. Stevenson said by telephone that he was
bringing a diesel generator to Atlanta that afternoon, but he didn
16-00
Please note that this is the FOURTH DAY of electricity being out eith~r all day or
good portion of the day.
After being out all day, the electricity was back on about 3:45 p.
When we spoke with Mr. Stevenson, he gave a series of timelines by which hewould have the problem solved, and each one came and went. Finally, qbout 3:45m. on 8-16-00, we had power. The problems wasn t totally solved even thenbecause the new transformers would not be in Atlanta until the following Thursday.
As described above, Atlanta citizens went for almost four consecutive days with
precious little electrical power. (It is important to note that this was before thefirestorms came through the Atlanta area.
Even though the August 13-16 power outages were unrelated to the fire storms, weare mentioning the firestorms in this letter because some citizens (e., those usinga well water system) were attempting to do their best to protect their homes against
fire but had no access to water without electricity. This type of emergency makes iteven more imperative that our ongoing problems be corrected.
Aren t there any guidelines specifying that a community of bill payers should have
power restored in a reasonable length of time? If so, what is defined asreasonable?
During a previous long power outage during the winter, Mr. Stevenson told us that33 1/2 hours straight His not a long time for the people of Atlanta to be without
power" and that he Hwasn t required to provide power within a reasonable length
of time." He also said "Dave s always around to fix things " even though he wasaware that this isn t true.
When some of us have complained in the past, we were verbally threatened by Mr.
Stevenson who called our homes late at night. (During one conversation , he madecomments prefaced by, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. .
. "
) As aspecific example, he called late at night on 12-, threatening to disconnect our
power and asked a lot of personal questions.
We called P.c. the next day and confirmed that as long as we continue to pay
our bills (which we always do), he can t disconnect our service. We also received
validation that he had no right to call us at home late at night (especially on anunlisted, unpublished number that he said he got off the Internet - but it isn t onthe Internet) and verbally harass us.
---- ---.------_.--
He threatened to either raise the rates (which he can t do single-handedly) or tostop providing power. He didn t do so then, and since his business continues to
grow, I doubt he will do so.
On August 17, 2000, we called the P.c. and asked Judy to tell Mr. Stevenson notto call our home again. Once again, he had threatened to raise our rates and had
asked personal questions. He also said the town should take up a c;ollection for a
backup generator - an inappropriate comment.
OUTAGES MR. Gill KNOWS ABOUT IN ADVANCE:
It would be courteous to know when the electricity will be turned off for
maintenance or extra work that Mr. Gill elects to do so that local citizens can plan
their power usage schedules accordingly. E., on 8-4-00, the electricity was off at5:25 - 6:00 p.m. while Mr. Gill elected to set up special arrangements for a private
event called" Atlanta Days," and there was no warning.
In the past, P.c. personnel said that citizens are to be notified when power will
be turned off for routine maintenance, but we never are.
-Jj--~Urlt1~
C:'~~'LJoe~2-?
;';-- e. ~
i Ann Aastum 07: 45 EM 8/26/00 , Re: from Doris in Atlanta
Return-Path: ~aaastum~primenet. com/
X-Sender: 3aastum~PQP. crimenet . ~om
Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 19:45:23 -0600
To: Shimoda Publishing ~shimodapub~mindspring. com/From: Ann Aastum ~aaastum~primenet. com/
Subj ect: Re: from Doris in Atlanta
fr~\~Y\~ ~ttsi~t~;
"--'--'--"----,
Hi Doris:
-----.--
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---.
Thank you for being on top of this - I would like to add:On May 26, 2000 the power went off at out cabin at about 1: 00 p.m. intheafternoo.
- who
was standing around on Chris ' property what had happened - he said
Dave was
, working on the line in our area, approx. 100 feet away and a fuse hadblown. There .was no prior nOtice that the lines were. being worked on\ - and
: that we could possibly be without power because he was working on a
neighbor s line. He knew we were there but didn t bother comingover.i Again he was only a very short
distance awa (100 feet - this is' incondsierate and professionally inexcusable). The power was out' again 2
or three times that weekend.
We were trying to work on the cabin.When I asked Dennis
Also our contractor was up there on August 15, and was delayed onconstruction due to unavailability of power. This is inconvenient tosaythe least.
Not to mention that my power bill for May was 3 times the normal
rate. We
hav been using the cabin on a regular basis with power equipment to
add the
addi tion, however, this month was very strange. I mentioned this toLynn
Stevenson. I called PUC and they said I would have to contact LynnStevenson first.
L.-
-------- --....-..---... '-"---.- -----.'-----.---------..----- -- ---.-.-------.--.
How to I sign this letter to you? Do you want me to print out thefirst
portion dated August 25 mail to you in an envelope with just your
addr?
-~ '
Printed for Sh~oda Publishing ~sh~odapub~mindspring. co~
Sj\IMwA 4/40 fllTs ,...n/1JV5P~/N& 3025 Hrr5
SHINtDDA PU8USH IM&J' 0 Hi/5 SH/MOVA ,fJ//J../V5P2I4I& - 3Z #rf5
ADDENDUM TO 8-25-00 LETTER:
EXAMPLES of our concerns include the following.
NO BACK-UP GENERATOR:
It is our understanding from speaking with a P.c. employee that a back-upgenerator was included in the current rates which were set in 1992 or 1993. (Threediesel generators were put into the rate base but have not remained in the
community, and the generator that was last here was not maintained so it no longer
works.When one of us asked Mr. Stevenson about his having a back-up generator
he said we would have to take up a collection from the citizens, which is aninappropriate response because (1) According to a P.c. employee, threegener~tors were put into the rate base, and (2) Mr. Stevenson cannot raise the rateswitho"ut going through due process, as established by the P.c. (He cannotunilaterally raise our rates.
Not only do .we pay the highest rates per kilowatt hour of any area that we have
researched in the U. S., Mr. Stevenson s business has grown due to increasedconstruction and repairs in the area, mining tailings repair work, and hooking up
new residents. More importantly, we pay a
service charge for the availability ofpower (on top of the base rate for power). Yet, power is not always available , sowe are paying for goods not received. This is different from any other power
company in the U.S. (and we aren t receiving quality service.
Mr. Stevenson said in a telephone conversation on 8-15-00 that the increased loadfrom new construction in the area is causing a problem. In the same conversationhe said that he is not receiving enough business to provide a back-up generator.
Obviously, these two statements are inconsistent.
WE FREQUENTLY DO NOT HAVE A RELIABLE TROUBLE-SHOOTER.
Mr. Gill appears to know a good deal when he is available, however, he is a manwith many jobs and is not always accessible. A recent example is that on 7-31-Mr. Gill was working on one of his private jobs. The power was out for 3 hours
and the citizens could not locate Mr. Gill. (This also happened during 8-13-00 to 8-16-00, as elaborated below.
There is no trained, reliable back-up person to solve problems in Mr. Gill'sabsence.
When we once again requested that Mr. Stevenson handle this ongoing problemhe said it was up to Mr. Gill to trouble-shoot. he also remarked that he has now
realized the problem and will handle it. We ve previously received this responseand would like to see problem-solving occur this time before the next crisis.
Why are the above issues a problem? The most recent example is described below:
8- 1 3-00:
The power went out about 3:00 p.m. and was out until about 8:30 p.
14-00:
Electricity out by 10:00 a.m. and not back on until about 6:00 p.
Mr. Gill would be on vacation for several more days. Although at least one localcitizen asked Mr. Gill to ensure that a backup was trained before he left town, nolocal citizen was designated as a backup person who felt comfortable going onto
the power piant property and taking care of things in Dave s absence.
8- 1 5-00:
Electricity out by 9:45 a.m. and not on the rest of the day.
c. (Judy) was told by Lynn Stevenson that we d have electricity by evening, butwe didn t. In the late morning, Mr. Stevenson said by telephone that he was
bringing a d~esel generator to Atlanta that afternoon , but he didn t...
16-
Please note that this is the FOURTH DAY of electricity being out either all day or a
good portion of the day.
After being out all day, the electricity was back on about 3:45 p.
When we spoke with Mr. Stevenson, he gave a series of timelines by which hewould have the problem solved, and each one came and went. Finally, about 3:45m. on 8-16-00, we had power. The problems wasn t totally solved even thenbecause the new transformers would not be in Atlanta until the following Thursday.
As described above , Atlanta citizens went for almost four consecutive days with
precious little electrical power. (It is important to note that this was before thefirestorms came through the Atlanta area.
Even though the August 13-16 power outages were unrelated to the fire storms, weare mentioning the firestorms in this letter because some citizens (e., those usinga well water system) were attempting to do their best to protect their homes against
fire but had no access to water without electricity. This type of emergency makes iteven more imperative that our ongoing problems be corrected.
Aren t there any guidelines specifying that a community of bill payers should havepower restored in a reasonable length of time? If so, what is defined asreasonable?
During a previous long power outage during the winter, Mr. Stevenson told us that33 1/2 hours straight "is not a long time for the people of Atlanta to be without
power" and that he "wasn t required to provide power within a reasonable length
of time." He also said "Dave s always around to fix things " even though he wasaware that this isn t true.
When some of us have complained in the past, we were verbally threatened by Mr.
Stevenson who called our homes late at night. (During one conversation, he madecomments prefaced by, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. . . ") As aspecific example, he called late at night on 12-, threatening to disconnect our
power and asked a lot of personal questions.
We called P.c. the next day and confirmed that as long as we continue to payour bills (which we always do), he can t disconnect our service. We also receivedvalidation that he had no right to call us at home late at night (especially on anunlisted, unpublished number that he said he got off the Internet - but it isn t onthe Internet) and verbally harass us.
He threatened to either raise the rates (which he can t do single-handedly) or tostop providing power. He didn t do so then, and since his business continues togrow, I doubt he will do so.
On August 17 2000, we called the P.c. and asked Judy to tell Mr. Stevenson notto call our home again. Once again , he had threatened to raise our rates and hadasked personal questions. He also said the town should take up a c;ollection for a
backup generator - an inappropriate comment.
OUTAGES MR. GILL KNOWS ABOUT IN ADVANCE:
It would be courteous to know when the electricity will be turned off formaintenance or extra work that Mr. Gill elects to do so that local citizens can plan
their power usage schedules accordingly. E.g., on 8-4-00, the electricity was off at5:25 - 6:00 p.m. while Mr. Gill elected to set up special arrangements for a private
event called "Atlanta Days " and there was no warning.
In the past, P.c. personnel said that citizens are to be notified when power will
be turned off for routine maintenance, but we never are.
... -...J U9-
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November 20, 1998
Attention: C.
Commissioners
Idaho P.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, ill 83720-0074
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Dear C.J. and Commissioners:
I appreciated talking with you today and chose to put in writing that my concerns are the
same as Mike Uhl has expressed.
, too, am unclear why regular maintenance is not done on the Atlanta Power to avoid
problems that are costly for all of us - lost income and food, etc., not to mentioninconvenience. Should I bill Mr. Stevenson for lost income when my computer and fax
machine don t work?
We have a situation in which we pay the highest rates I'm aware of with little , if anyregard for real service. We are supposed to be grateful for having power available, evenif it is available on an unpredictable basis.
Even when outages are predictable (e., maintenance or new people being hooked-up),we are not told that they will occur. Often, I have been typing on my computer, in themiddle of the day, and the power has vanished.
From my experience ofliving here in the past, I know that the outages are frequent in thewinter, and I would like to see the system maintained so that the winter outages are not
any more frequent or serious than necessary. In fact, some days, my computer powercellseems to "beep" on a non-stop basis. Genuine weather problems I can understand.Problems that could have been avoided should be.
I would also like to see a back-up generator installed so that, even if Dave s full-timehighway district job or other responsibilities keep him from fixing any problems, Dennisor another local citizen can turn on a back-up system.
/3; I know Terry Applegate has volunteered to be trained for back-up duty. I know William
Uhl would be happy to be trained for back-up duty, and he is excellent with mechanical
equipment.
. ~
Page 2
Helge to P.u.C.
Please continue to speak for us. It is not right that we are without power for over 24 or
36 hours at a time as happened this summer and this month. So much can be prevented
and it would be cheaper for Mr. Stevenson to do routine maintenance than to wait for
problems.
I'm unclear why it takes years to buy batteries for a back-up generator when the rates for
power are as high as they are in Atlanta.
Also, Mr. Stevenson loses money when the system is down for long periods of time, so Idont understand it when he "cries poor" as an excuse.
I will appreciate your taking action so that Mr. Stevenson ensures:
Maintenance of the system on a regular basis.
. A back-up crew that knows how to assess and fix problems.
. A back-up generator that really works
People who can operate the back-up generator.
I'd also like to attend any hearing you arrange on this matter.
Thank you
' -
P. O. Box 32
Atlanta, ill 83601
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November 13 , 1998
Attention: Commissioners
Idaho P.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0074
Dear Commissioners:
The purpose of this correspondence is to put in writing what I've voiced in person
to P.c. employees CJ. and Rose since this summer. When I called Rose againthis morning, she explained that you are reviewing the problems in Atlanta.
I came here in mid-June and began to pay the highest price for power in Idaho (and
probably in the nation). Twice since that time, my food has ruined and I have lostincome due to long-term power outages. (Part of my household income depends
on having a fax machine, computer, and printer that run so that I can meet
deadlines. We are also four hours from a grocery store, so the inconyenience of
food loss is as important as the economic loss.
When the outage happened this summer, I called P.c. and was told that theperson in charge, Lynn Stevenson, was supposed to have a (1) back-up generator
and (2) a back-up operator, and that we should never experience such a long-termpower outage.
I had hoped that efforts were being made to correct the problem, but the problemrecurred this week. We were without power for 33 hours before Mr. Stevensoncame to look at the problem. Once here, he solved the problem in about 3 1/2hours. I understand that there have been other recent outages of shorter duration
To be fair , I will only comment on those which I personally experienced. Duringthe outage this week, we were without power for over 36 1/2 hours. When I calledc.J. this summer, we were without power for over 24 hours.
The weather before the outage had been clear, and the problem was not weather-related. In fact, it is my understanding that the problem could have been avoided if
appropriate maintenance had occurred.
Specifically, I was told that the system needed new brushes. Since all of us knowthat brushes wear out, wouldn t regular maintenance have prevented the problem?Maintenance does not appear to be a big priority for Mr. Stevenson. For examplewire poles have been leaning all summer by Yuba River. There is a 99% or greater
chance that the poles will fall during a winter storm. Maintenance is not only
preferable to problems, but it is definitely less expensive to do maintenance during
the summer than during the winter.
The power plant is a part-time business for Mr. Stevenson, and it is also a part-timeresponsibility for Dave Gill, the Atlanta operator, as Dave has several other jobsincluding being full-time head of the Atlanta Highway Distrid. Of course, whenstorms/heavy snow occur, electricity and roads both require a full-time person tokeep up with p~oblems.
Page 2
c. from Uhl
Since we all know that, is there any reason why a back-up person isn t trained? A
large percentage of the time, when problems occur, Mr. Gill is doing one of his
other jobs. This time, he was out of town when the problem occurred at 2:01 a.on November 11 and he isn t scheduled to return until November 15. The only
other person who had any familiarity with the power plant is Dennis, and he doesnot have the expertise to deal with problems, including replacing brushes - a
problem which could have been avoided with a routine maintenance schedule.
However, Dennis couid have been trained to start and maintain a generator (back-up system) until Mr. Stevenson arrived.
Mr. Stevenson appears to have little, if any, regard for his customers. When Jim
and Karen Sayko called him to ask him to solve the power problem, they repeatedly
said
, "
Don t come by way of James Creek. It's got too much snow to get through.
That must have given Mr. Stevenson an easy excuse, because he called the evening
of November 11 and said he had made an attempt to get into Atlanta. via James
Creek and couldn t get through, so he d try to get in on November 12.
Quite frankly, most of us doubt seriously if Mr. Stevenson made an honest attempt
to get into Atlanta because: (1) he was forewarned not to go the direction he
allegedly went, (2) he knows the weather patterns of Atlanta, and (3) he didn t callback until the evening, saying he couldn t get in. If he really tried to get in on
November 11 , why did he not try another route, versus allegedly going back home?
Lodging would have been available in Atlanta if he had needed to stay here
overnight.
We all realize that ppwer outages don t happen at "convenient times," but when
you take people s money and say you ll provide a service, you have a responsibility
to act in a timely manner. Showing up 33 hours after the outage is not acting in a
timely manner.
Mrs. Applegate heard from Mr. Stevenson on the evening of November 11 that hedidnt think the problem could be fixed but he would come up on November 12.
That's a curious response from someone who hadn t even been in the area to assess
the problem.
Even if Mr. Stevenson is not interested in his adult customers, school had to becalled off. The teacher had arranged for a guest speaker from Australia to talk to the
kids. The kids had to meet in the bar for the part of the day that the guest speakerwas here because the event was planned.
When I talked to the P.c. this summer, we were told that Mr. Stevenson had no
batteries for a back-up generator, because they had been stolen several years
ago. We were also told that he didn t have a place to lock up batteries, yet there isa building at the dam. A lock system could be designed for the generator itself, likefor other heavy equipment.
Page 3
c. from Uhl
How long does it take to come up with a back-up system? It is our understanding
that he has been saying that the generator hasn t worked since 1993. Yet, the locals
have been faithfully paying their exorbitant power bills. This may be a part-time
business for Mr. Stevenson, but we pay our outrageous bills on time, every month.
As the public regulatory agency, we are asking that you take action so that Mr.Stevenson ensures:
Regular maintenance of the system
. A back-up.crew that knows how to assess and fix problems
. A back-up generator that really works
People who can operate the back-up generator
If you hold a hearing on this matter, we would appreciate an invitation to attend.
Thank you
Mike Uhl
do: P. O. Box 32
Atlanta, 10 83601
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, Commission Secretary
P. U. C.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, 10 83720-074
August 25, 2000
Dear Secretary of the Commission:
The following citizens of Atlanta, Idaho hereby request a formal investigation into
the quality of electrical service fOi the Atfanta townsite. We have experiencedproblems with both the consistency and quality of the electrical power provided. If
the P.c. deems it useful to hold a meeting or a hearing, we request that themeeting be held in Atlanta so that the maximum number of citizens can attend.
As far as we know, we pay the highest rate per kilowatt hour of any consumers of
electricity in the United States. More importantly, we pay a
service charge for theavailability of power (on top of the base rate for power). Yet, power is not alwaysavailable, so'we are paying for goods not received. This is different from any other
,power company in the U.S. (and we aren t receiving quality service), yet over timewe have experienced problems which have not been resolved.
We have the following needs.
. Consistent, quality power. (During most of the month of May, the town waswithout power. Atlanta has also experienced a variety of emergencies for which
power was essential but not consistently available. The firestorms are only arecent example. Because the town water association was unable to secure a
reliable source of Quality power that met state compliance guidelines, theasssociation eventually changed to solar power.
Resolution of any power outages or other problems in a timely, responsive
manner.
. An accessible person to address electrical outages and other problems.
. A pre-arranged and adequately trained person to back-up up the primary person
responsible for power.
Both people need to have been pre-cleared to do their duties. In other wordsthey should not be placed in the position of being afraid to act because of
potential liability issues for attempting to fix the power source.
Thank you. We look forward to your response to our concerns.
PIC?' D~;Xt)3'q~A-J~J
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Commission Secretary
P. U. C.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-074
August 25 , 2000
Dear Secretary of the Commission:
The following citizens of Atlanta, Idaho hereby request a formal investigation into
the quality of electricai service for the Atianta townsite. We have experiencedproblems with both the consistency and quality of the electrical power provided.
the P.c. deems it useful to hold a meeting or a hearing, we request that themeeting be held in Atlanta so that the maximum number of citizens can attend.
As far as we know, we pay the highest rate per kilowatt hour of any consumers of
electricity in the United States. More importantly, we pay a
service charge for theavailability of power (on top of the base rate for power). Yet, pow~r is not alwaysavailable, so we are paying for goods not been received. This is different from anyother power company in the U.S. (and we aren t receiving quality service.) Yetover time, we have experienced problems which have not been resolved.
We have the following needs.
. Consistent, quality power. (During most of the month of May, the town was
without power. Atlanta has also experienced a variety of emergencies for which
power was essential but not consistently available. The firestorms are only arecent example. Because the town water association was unable to secure a
reliable source of quality power that met state compliance guidelines, theasssociation eventually changed to solar power.
Resolution of any power outages or other problems in a timely, responsive
manner.
. An accessible person to address electrical outages and other problems.
. A pre-arranged and adequately trained person t9 back-up up the primary person
responsible for power.
Both people need to have been pre-cleared to do their duties. In other wordsthey should not be placed in the position of being afraid to act because of
potential liability issues for attempting to fix the power source.
Thank you. We look forward to your response to our concerns.
Commission 5eaetary
P. U. C.
P. O. Box 83720
Boise, 10 83720-074
August 25, 2000
Dear Secretary of the Commission:
The following citizens of Atlanta, Idaho hereby request a formal investigation into
the quality of electrical service for the Atlanta townsite.
We have experiencedproblems with both the consistency and quality of the electrical power provided. If
the P.U .c. deems it useful to hold a meeting or a hearing, we request that themeeting be held in Atlanta so that the maximum number of citizens can attend.
As far as we know, we pay the highest rate per kilowatt hour of any cqnsumers of
electricity In the United States. More importandy, we pay
service charge for theavailability of power (on top of the base rate for power). Yet, power is not alwaysavalla~e, So we are paying for goods not been received. This is different from anyother power company In the U.S. (and we aren t receiving quality service.) Yet,over time, we have experienced problems which have not
I;M!en resolved.
We have the following needs.
. .
Consistent, quality power. (During most of the month of May, the town waswithout power. Atlanta has also experienced a variety of emergencies for whichpower was essential but not consistently available.
The firestorms are only recent example. Because the town water association was unable to secure areliable source of quality power that met state mmpliance guidelines, the
asssoclation eventually changed to solar power.
Resolution of any power outages or other problems in a timely, responsivemanner.
. An a~ible person to address electrical outages and other problems.. A pre..arranged and adequately trained person to
back-up up the primary personresponsible for power.
Botti people need to have been pre..cleared to
do their duties. In other words,they should not be placed In the position of being afraid to act
because of potential liability Issues for attempting
10 fix the power source.
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