20091215Answer.pdf

To: JeanJ. Jewell
Secretary
Public Utilties Commission
POBox 83720 Boise, 10 83720
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From: Israel Ray
President
Atlanta Power Company
11140 Chicken Dinner Rd.
Caldwell, Id 83607
Case Number: ATl E-09-01
Dear Secretary,
This letter is in regards to your summons dated November 2ih, 2009. We are
responding to the Allen Lake complaint residing at 80 E. Alturas Dr. in Atlanta, Idaho. Mr. Lake is
a customer of Atlanta Power who has been having problems with his dishwasher shutting off in
the middle of the wash cycle. Mr. lake, Keith Hessing, and I have been working to resolve this
matter since April of this past year.
Idaho Power representatives Shane Woods, John Roholt, Keith Hessing and I went to
Atlanta to do a power quality assessment in regards to this issue. As a result of this analysis it
was determined that the area in need of improvement was in our cycles. We determined that
the best way to imprQve this issue was to attempt to stay closer to 60 cycles. In order tQ do this
we found that the best way would be to take the slack out of our main drive chain.
We decided to have Yankee machine shop design and build a device to tighten the chain
drive. After Yankees designed it we installed it. This tensioner sprocket has taken several
seconds out of the governors response time. A few weeks ago I met with Priest Electric and
they contacted Marathon, the manufacturer of our generator. Marathon stated that the best
way to stabilze our voltage changes would be to stay as close to 60 cycles as possible. They
stated that there was nothing wrong with our voltage regulator.
Dave Gil, our onsite manager, has been monitoring and conducting the necessary
adjustments to the system asneeded. The power qualit has improved to the point that Mr.
lake has completed entire cycles with his dish washer without any shut offs during the cycles.
Atlanta Power needs to have more time to adjust the governor. We have spoken to Keith
Hessing on several occasions regarding the possibilty of obtaining a digital cycle meter and or a
voltage recorder. Keith is assisting us in locating this equipment. He has found some used
equipment available from Idaho Power. Once we have this equipment we wil be able to' flne
tune the governor.
Atlanta Power's system is small. The Turbine runs approximately 430 RPM. Our
governor is not the only factor, as noted in the Idaho Power report. In the report, under the
paragraph titled Customer Equipment, larger horse power motors, for example would be walk
in coolers, make our system have significant load variations.
On my last trip to Atlanta, within a period of approximately flfteen minutes, I watched
the amp gauge fluctuate from 29 amps to 39 plus. This is a 25% load change within 15 minutes.
Atlanta Power is not tied to the grid. If the grid were to have a 25% load swing within fifteen
minutes, I would imagine that their voltage would vary. My point is that a small system can only
stay so close to 60 cycles no matter what you do.
Mr. lake stated that he felt that we are not serious about making improvements on the
day that Idaho Power did the Power quality assessment. Mr. Lake was not home on this day. In
hindsight, he equId have helped Atlanta Power greatly. If we had been able to monitor his
power at that time, while his dishwasher was running, it would have given us a point of
reference to help us make the necessary changes. We were unable to conclude as to what was
the reason for the shutoffs. Whether it was low voltage and low cycles or high voltage and high
cycles. Regardless, we were unable to test his power because he was not there. We arranged
for this trip several weeks in advance and Allan should have been there.
To say that we have to be forced to carry out necessary changes is not accurate. We
have made several attempts to reconcile this problem, including two trips to Atlanta and
numerous phone calls. In the 24 years that I have been with Atlanta Power. I think that I have
shown that J care a great deal about Atlanta Power and it's customers. J feel that so far, a lot of
good has come from Allan lakes need for cleaner power and I would like to thank Keith Hessing
for his help currently and throughout the years of working together to resolve different Issues.
Sincerely,
~7Israel Ray
Company President