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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20090123DeFelice Direct.pdfRECEI\/ fJ DAVID J. MEYER VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF COUNSEL OF REGULATORY & GOVERNENTAL AFFAIRS AVISTA CORPORATION P.O. BOX 3727 1411 EAST MISSION AVENUE SPOKANE, WASHINGTON 99220-3727 TELEPHONE: (509) 495-4316 FACSIMILE: (509) 495-8851 20ng Jf~,N 23 Pl1 12: 43 BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF AVISTA CORPORATION FOR THE AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES AND CHARGES FOR ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS SERVICE TO ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS CUSTOMERS IN THE STATE OF IDAHO CASE NO. AVU-E-09-01 CASE NO. AVU-G-09-01 DIRECT TESTIMONY OF DAVE B. DEFELICE FOR AVISTA CORPORATION (ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS) 1 2 I. INTRODUCTION Q.Please state your name, employer and business 3 address. 4 5 A.My name is Dave B. DeFelice.I am employed by Avista Corporation as a Senior Business Analyst.My 6 business address is 1411 East Mission, Spokane, Washington. 7 Q.Please briefly describe' your education background 8 and professional experience. 9 A.I graduated from Eastern Washington University in 10 June of 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business 11 Administration majoring in Accounting.I have served in 12 various positions wi thin the Company, including Analyst 13 positions in the Finance Department (Rates Section and 14 15 Plant Accounting)and in the Marketing/Operations Departments, as well.In 1999, I accepted the Senior 16 Business Analyst position that focuses on economic analysis 17 of various proj ect proposals as well as evaluations and 18 recommendations pertaining to business policies and 19 practices. 20 Q.As a Senior Business Analyst, what are your 21 responsibilities? 22 A.As a Senior Business Analyst I am involved in 23 financial analysis of numerous proj ects wi thin various 24 departments such as Engineering,Operations, 25 Marketing/Sales and Finance. DeFelice, Di 1 Avista Corporation 1 2 Q.What is the scope of your testimony? A.My testimony and exhibits in this proceeding will 3 cover the Company's proposed regulatory treatment of 4 capital investments in utility plant through 2009. 5 6 Q.Are you sponsoring any exhibits? A.Yes.I am sponsoring Exhibit No.9, Schedule 1 7 (Capi tal Expendi tures) , and Schedule 2 (2009 Capital 8 Additions Detail), which were prepared under my direction. 9 II. CAPITAL INVSTMENT RECOVERY 10 Q.What does the Company' s request for rate relief 11 include regarding new investment in utility plant to serve 12 customers? 13 A.In this filing, we are proposing to include in 14 retail rates the costs associated with utility plant that 15 is in-service, and will be used to provide energy service 16 to our customers during the pro forma rate year.This is 17 consistent with prior ratemaking practice in the State of 18 Idaho. The methodology that we use is consistent with the 19 methodology we used in the last general rate cases filed in 20 2008, Case Nos. AVU-E-08-01 and AVU-G-08-01. 21 The utility plant investment that we have included in 22 this filing represents utility plant that will be "used and 23 useful" in providing service to customers during the 24 approximate period that new retail rates from this filing 25 will be in effect.The costs associated with the DeFelice, Di 2 Avista Corporation 1 investment will be "known and measurable," and finally, 2 including the costs associated with this investment in 3 retail rates provides a proper "matching" of revenues from 4 customers with the costs associated with providing service 5 to customers (including the cost of utility plant to serve 6 cus tomers) . 7 In the IPUC's Order No. 29602, in Case Nos. AVU-E-04-1 8 and AVU-G-04-1, dated October 8, 2004, the Commission 9 stated, at page 10, that: 10 "Once a test year is selected, adjustments are11 made to test year accounts and rate base to 12 reflect known and measurable changes so that test13 year totals accurately reflect anticipated14 amounts for the future period when rates will be 15 in effect. The Idaho Supreme Court has described16 "rate base" as "the utility's capital investment17 amount." Industrial Customers of Idaho Power v. 18 Idaho PUC 134 Idaho 285, 291, 1 P.3d 786, 79219 (2000). Adjustments to test year accounts20 generally fall into three categories: 1)21 normalizing adjustments made for unusual22 occurrences, like one-time events or extreme23 weather conditions, so they do not unduly affect 24 the test year i 2) annualizing adjustments made25 for events that occurred at some point in the26 test year to average their effect as if they had27 been in existence during the entire year ¡and 3) 28 known and measurable adjustments made to include29 events that occur outside the test year but will30 continue in the future to affect Company income31 and expenses." 32 33 If utility plant investment that is being used to 34 serve customers is not reflected in retail rates then the 35 retail rates will not be "just,reasonable,and 36 sufficient," i.e., it would not be just or reasonable for 37 customers to receive the benefit provided by the utility DeFelice, Di 3 Avista Corporation 1 investment without paying for it, and the retail rates 2 would not provide revenues "sufficient" to provide recovery 3 of the costs associated with providing service to 4 customers. 5 Q.Is the Company's application of these ratemking 6 principles in this filing consistent with prior general 7 rate cases? 8 9 A.Yes.In prior cases, the obj ecti ve has been the same to include in retail rates the investment, or rate 10 base, that is providing service to customers, and ensure 11 that there is a proper matching of revenues and expenses 12 13 during the period that rates are in effect.In Case Nos. AVU-E-08-01 and AVU-G-08-01,the Commission approved 14 including capital investment through December 31, 2008, for 15 rates that were effective October 1, 2008. 16 Q.How does new investment in utility plant change 17 rate base over time for ratemking purposes? 18 A.Historically, the annual dollars spent by the 19 Company on new utility plant were generally relatively 20 close to the level of depreciation expense, with the 21 exception of years where the Company invested in major new 22 utility projects. i I will use an example to illustrate, in i Recognizing that a portion of the costs associated with capital additions are offset by additional revenues. DeFelice, Di 4 Avista Corporation 1 general terms, how new investment in utility plant changes 2 rate base over time. Let's assume that the Company i s rate 3 base (adjusted net plant in service used to serve 4 customers) at the beginning of Year 1 is $1.5 billion. 5 Also assume that depreciation expense in Year 1 is $80 6 million, and the Company's new investment in utility plant 7 in Year 1 is also $80 million.During Year 1, rate base 8 increased by $80 million (new investment), and decreased by 9 $80 million (depreciation), and ended up at the same level 10 of $1.5 billion at the end of the year. In this simplified 11 example, the Company i s rate base is $1.5 billion, both at 12 the beginning of Year 1, and at the end of Year 1. 13 For ratemaking purposes, the $1.5 billion of rate base 14 is representative of the level of plant investment used to 15 serve customers, both at the beginning of the year and at 16 17 the end of the year.Over time, if depreciation expense continues to be approxima tely equal to new plant 18 investment, rate base would continue at a relatively 19 constant $1.5 billion. Under these circumstances, the use 20 of the $1.5 billion rate base amount from a prior year, 21 i . e., a historical test year, would be adequate for setting 22 rates for the upcoming year (pro forma rate year), because 23 there is little change in the net plant investment used to 24 serve customers. DeFelice, Di 5 Avista Corporation 1 In a similar manner, in prior general rate cases we 2 have used a rate base amount from a historical test year as 3 the starting point for the pro forma rate year.If there 4 were no major plant additions between the historical test 5 year and the upcoming pro forma rate year, the historical 6 test year rate base amount would be used for the pro forma 7 rate year as being representative of the net plant used to 8 serve customers. 9 However, if there were known major plant additions 10 that would be in service for the pro forma rate year, such 11 as the addition of Coyote Springs II for Avista, the major 12 transmission upgrades, and the hydroelectric upgrades, then 13 rate base for the pro forma rate year is adjusted for these 14 maj or investments, so that rate base for the pro forma rate 15 year is representative of the level of investment used to 16 serve customers. 17 Q.Is Avista' s new investment in utility plant 18 exceeding its annual depreciation exense, causing an 19 increase in rate base from the test year to the pro form 20 rate year? 21 A.Yes.Avista's investment in plant in 2009 is 22 well above the annual depreciation expense, and will result 23 in an increase in net plant in service (rate base) that 24 will be used to serve customers in the pro forma rate year. 25 Much of this new investment in plant for 2009 is spread DeFelice, Di 6 Avista Corporation 1 among many different utility plant categories, as opposed 2 to a few major plant additions. 3 Therefore, the Company's pro forma adjustment for new 4 investment in plant in this filing, as in the previous 5 general rate case filing, involves a more detailed analysis 6 of the net change in rate base from the historical test 7 period to the pro forma rate year.The end resul t , 8 however, is the same in this case as in all prior cases - 9 to reflect in retail rates the level of net plant 10 investment that is used to serve customers during the pro 11 forma rate year, and to have a proper matching of revenues 12 and expenses. 13 Q.How was rate base for the pro form rate year 14 developed for this filing? 15 A.As in prior rate cases, Avista started with rate 16 base for the historical test year, which for this case is 17 the average of monthly averages for the twelve months ended 18 September 30, 2008.Adjustments were made to reflect new 19 additions and accumulated depreciation through December 20 2009, such that the proposed rate base reflects the net 21 plant in service that will be used to serve customers 22 during the pro forma rate year.Later in my testimony, I 23 will provide the details of the adjustments to rate base. 24 The recent rate case (Case Nos. AVU-E-08-01 and AVU-G- 25 08-01) concluded with new retail rates effective October 1, DeFelice, Di 7 Avista Corporation 1 2008. As noted earlier, recovery of costs associated with 2 new capital additions through December 31, 2008 was 3 included in retail rates.wi th regard to the proper 4 "matching" of revenues and expenses, it can be said that 5 some of the new capital through December 31, 2008 was not 6 in place at the time new retail rates went into effect on 7 October 1, 2008.However, it is also true that the costs 8 of new capital already added, and to be added, in 2009 is 9 currently not recovered in retail rates. Although we know 10 that a perfect matching of revenues and expenses would be 11 difficult to achieve, it is very important that, during 12 this period of high capital investment, retail rates 13 reflect the true costs of providing service to customers, 14 in order to afford the Company the opportunity to recover 15 its costs and continue to attract capital under reasonable 16 terms. 17 wi th regard to the current filing, Avista is hopeful 18 that new retail rates from this case will be effective by 19 or before mid-2009.Furthermore, new rates from the next 20 general rate case will likely not be effective until 21 sometime well into 2010.December 31, 2009 represents an 22 approximate mid-point of the period in which retail rates 23 would be in place from this case and the next case. 24 Including new capital investment through the mid-point of 25 the "rate year" (approximately mid-2009 through mid-2010) DeFelice, Di 8 Avista Corporation 1 will allow the Company the opportunity to recover the costs 2 associated with capital investment that will serve 3 customers over the course of the rate year. 4 The following chart illustrates the capital additions 5 for 2008 and 2009 that will be completed and in service 6 through December 31, 2009 .Since this case reflects 7 capital additions through only December 31, 2009, during 8 the first part of 2010 (which is the rate year associated 9 with the current case), new capital investment will 10 incurred in order to serve customers, but the costs will 11 not be reflected in the customers' rates. 12 Illustration 1 A VISTA UTILITIES CAPITAL ADDITIONS 2008-2010 $600 _.-_.__..__.__.__._----.-. . I . I.. !.1 12131/2010 î ~ $400~ .~ ~ ~""¿¡ $200 13 14 Q.You stated earlier that new utility investment in 15 2008 and 2009 will be substantially higher than the annual 16 depreciation expense.What is driving the significant 17 investment in new utility plant? DeFelice, Di 9 Avista Corporation 1 A.As we explained in the recent general rate case, 2 the Company is being required to add significant new 3 transmission and distribution facili ties,including 4 strengthening the "back bone" of our system, due in part to 5 continued customer growth in our service area, reliability requirements, and capacity upgrades.Other issues driving6 7 8 the need for capital investment include an aging infrastructure,physical degradation,and municipal 9 compliance issues (i. e., street/highway relocations), etc. 10 Company witness Mr. Kinney provides additional testimony on 11 some of these capital requirements. 12 In addition, although in recent months the rapid 13 increase in the cost of materials (concrete, copper, steel, 14 etc.) has subsided, they are still orders of magnitude 15 higher than what they were even a few years ago, causing 16 the cost of these new facilities to be significantly higher 17 than in the pas t .Because the cost of adding new 18 facilities is significantly higher than the original cost 19 of existing facilities, the investment in new facilities 20 will be significantly higher than the annual depreciation 21 expense on the existing facilities. 22 Q.What is causing the substantial increase in raw 23 materials for Avista, and the utility industry in general? 24 A.In September 2007,The Edison Foundation 25 commissioned a study from The Brattle Group titled, "Rising DeFelice, Di 10 Avista Corporation 1 Utili ty Construction Costs: Sources and Impacts," which 2 identified cost trends specifically related to the utility 3 industry pertaining to critical materials and equipment, as 4 well as labor support services used for building capital 5 infrastructure. The study identifies the reasons for 6 drastic cost increases in critical raw materials, such as 7 8 global competi tion and an aging domestic utility infrastructure as well as the need for additional 9 infrastructure to accommodate growth in the near future. 10 Q.What are some of the key cost drivers that are 11 ci ted in the study? 12 A.The study, at page 16, cites four maj or cost 13 drivers," (1) material input costs, including the cost of 14 raw physical inputs, such as steel and cement as well as 15 increased costs of components manufactured from these 16 inputs (e.g., transformers, turbines, pumps) i (2) shop and 17 fabrication capacity for manufactured components (relative 18 to current demand) i (3) the cost of construction field 19 labor, both unskilled and craft labori and (4) the market 20 21 for large construction proj ect management,i. e. ,the queuing and bidding for proj ects . "The study goes on to 22 compare cost trends for various raw materials, critical 23 equipment and labor services relative to the general 24 inflation rate (GDP deflator).In addition, a cost trend 25 is sumarized by three key utility functional plant DeFelice, Di 11 Avista Corporation 1 categories,including generation,transmission,and 2 distribution plant.The study concludes that these 3 inflation impacts have been outside the utility industry's 4 control. 5 Illustration 2 below depicts what has occurred to 6 infrastructure costs nationally.From the chart, it is 7 apparent that starting in 2003, costs of distribution, 8 transmission and generation infrastructure increased at a 9 far more significant rate than the overall economy, as 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 measured by the GDP deflator. Illustration 2 National Aterage Utilit Infastucture Cost Indlès 170 180 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -,- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- 100 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 90 191 192 W3 1994 1995 196 1991 199 199 2002001 Yea Source" The Handy-Whi1ionCl Bulletin, No, 165 ond the U$ Bureon of Economic Anoly'¡.$imple ..eroge of 011 regional con.tietion and equipmeitJ:ost:itdees,fórthe:~specie~c()mponettJl: "Rising-Utility_Constrction Có:its: _ Sources :andJmpacts" Prepiued by The-Brate .Grou:pf(X The Edi.on Foundation, September 2007 DeFelice, Di 12 Avista Corporation 1 Q.Is there specific evidence that Avista is 2 experiencing cost escalations similar to that indicated in 3 the study? 4 A.Yes. As we explained in the recent general rate 5 case, a sample was compiled of some materials and equipment 6 that Avista routinely uses in order to support various 7 infrastructure construction efforts that are part of the 8 Company's annual capital requirements of purchases made 9 from 2003 through 2008.The sample of materials was 10 grouped into categories for typical electric and gas 11 distribution capital projects as well as major electric 12 substation projects. The cost sumary indicated that the 13 cost of the materials reviewed has risen sharply in most 14 categories from 2003 to 2008.For the distribution plant 15 group of materials, the average annual escalation impact 16 from 2003 through 2007 is approximately 37%, which is equal 17 to a cumulative increase over the four-year period of 178%. 18 The escalation for the substation group of materials and 19 equipment has been approximately 12% per year for the 20 purchases Avista has made from 2003 to 2008, or a 21 cumulative increase of 55%. 22 Q.What is the historical and projected level of 23 annual capital spending for Avista? 24 A.Avista's capital requirements have steadily 25 increased from approximately $100 million to over $200 DeFelice, Di 13 Avista Corporation 1 million over the last several years.Exhibit No.9, 2 Schedule 1 reflects the trend that Avista has experienced 3 and what is planned for in the near future. 4 This chart not only shows the total magnitude of 5 capital expenditures, but also clearly shows that the 6 amount of capital projects is well in excess of revenue- 7 supported capital expenditures to connect new customers, 8 and beyond the level of revenues that is being collected 9 from customers related to existing plant.The difference 10 between the total capital requirements, less the new 11 revenue related capital, and allowed revenues represent a 12 significant discrepancy that is negatively impacting the 13 Company. 14 Q.What is the likelihood that Avista's capital 15 investment will continue at this level? 16 A.There are many factors that will influence 17 capital expenditures going forward. One factor is the cost 18 of raw materials is expected to continue to cause the cost 19 of new capital expenditures to significantly exceed the 20 cost of existing capital facilities that are to be replaced 21 and the fact that there is more demand for capital proj ects 22 for such things as compliance work with municipal highway 23 and road proj ects, sewer proj ects, etc. Also, as critical 24 systems age, there will be more utility plant that will be 25 reaching the end of physical life and, in some cases, plant DeFelice, Di 14 Avista Corporation 1 may be replaced prior to the end of its physical life based 2 on power efficiency improvements that can be recognized. 3 III. DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL PROJECTS 4 Q.For the 2009 capital projects pro for.ed in this 5 filing, please provide a description of the projects. 6 A.Exhibit No.9, Schedule 2 details the capital 7 proj ects that will be transferred to plant in service in 8 2009 and included in this filing.A short description of 9 these projects with system costs follows: 10 Generation ($37.9 million): 11 Thermal - Kettle Falls Capital Projects - $1,735,00012 The primary proj ect at the Kettle Falls Generating13 Station is the replacement of the steam turbine14 control system. Other smaller projects include the 15 replacement of wood screw conveyors which feeds wood16 into the hopper, the replacement of ash screws in the17 ash removal system, and a continuation of a project to18 replace the travelling grate in the boiler. 1920 Thermal - Colstrip Capital Additions- $6,200,00021 The Colstrip capital additions for 2009 include major22 emission control proj ects for units 3 & 4. Boiler 23 modifications are being made to reduce Mercury24 emissions on units 3&4 to comply with Montana state 25 law. Also Low NOx burners are being installed on unit 26 4 to comply with Montana DEQ requirements. These NOx27 modifications were previously installed on unit 3.28 2009 is a regular overhaul year with additional major29 capital work scheduled for unit 4 including cooling30 tower fill replacement, an LP turbine overhaul, an air31 pre-heater overhaul, a generator rewind kit, and a32 variety of additional smaller capital projects to be33 completed during the outage. 3435 Thermal - Other Small Proj ects - $84,00036 Please refer to the workpapers of Mr. DeFelice for37 detailed listing of projects. 38 39 40 DeFelice, Di 15 Avista Corporation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Hydro - Cabinet Gorge Capital Project - $804,000 Replace a maj or component of the Cabinet Unit 1Turbine (discharge ring) . Hydro - Little Falls Capital Project - $525,000 Replace the roof at the Little Falls HED. Hydro - Long Lake Capital Project - $597,000 Replace the scroll case drain system and installation of dam safety monitoring systems for the forebay, tailrace, and sump. Hydro - Noxon Capi tal Proj ect - Replacement of the Generator (GSU) needed to accommodate the the turbine improvements. $1,295,000 Step Up Transformersincreased power due to Hydro - Upper Falls Capital Projects - $l,9l0,OOO This proj ect will replace the old plant control and locate all new equipment from the Post Street Substation to the Upper Falls plant. In addition, new equipment will be installed to both modernize the unit, enhance the protection schemes, and to automate the plant from the Generation Control Center. Hydro - Noxon Capital Projects - $17,171,000 Projects include finishing the replacement of the Unit 1 stator core and stator windings, installation of a new high efficiency turbine runner, and mechanical overhaul on uni t # 1 . Hydro Clark Fork Implement PME Agreement $2,107,000 Multiple projects are planned for 2009 as part of the protection, mitigation and enhancement (PME) plan. These proj ects were agreed to as part of the settlement agreement and FERC license received in 2001. Hydro - Other Small Projects - $1,142,000 There are a number of proj ect improvements planned for 2009. These include beginning a system station sumpcontrol and monitoring systems to facilitate anticipated license conditions, and other small proj ects. Please refer to the workpapers of Mr.DeFelice for detailed listing of proj ects. Other - Northeast Combustion Turbine - $944,000 The control system at the Northeast Combustion Turbinewill be upgraded for standby reserve. This proj ect is DeFelice, Di 16 Avista Corporation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 a continuation from 2008 in that air permit issues prevented this item from being completed. Other - Coyote Springs 2 (CS2) Capital Proj ects $575,000In 2009, capital costs include a spare GSU transformer. The previous spare was installed after a transformer failed in the spring of 2008. The capital cost of the new spare will largely be offset by an insurance settlement. Other smaller projects plannedfor 2009 include the purchase of a spare station serviced transformer (reliability), duct burner fuelsystem upgrades (capacity increase), steam turbine control upgrades (reliability), and several smaller PGE/ Avista shared proj ects (safety /reliabili ty) . Other - Coyote Springs 2 (CS2) LTSA - $2,000,000LTSA (Long Term Service Agreement) costs are apportioned between capital and O&M based on predicted gas turbine hardware replacement schedules for the duration of the contract. These costs cover the maintenance agreement with General Electric and cover the gas turbine and auxiliaries. Other Small Proj ects - $819,000 This work is primarily to install an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) system at the Boulder Park power station to protect the engine generators and other station auxiliaries. Currently when there is a loss of station service, most of the control system will shut down after only a few minutes. This system will allow for an orderly control of the equipment during these events. Please refer to the workpapers of Mr. DeFelice for detailed listing of other projects. Electric Transmission ($15.1 million): The electric transmission proj ects that will transfer to plant in service are described in detail in Mr.Kinney's direct testimony at pages 17 through 21. A listing of these proj ects follows: Lolo 230-Rebuild 230 kV Yard - $2,050,000 Spokane-CDA 115 kV Line Relay upgrades - $1,250,000 Power Circuit Breakers - $540,000 SCADA Replacement - $740,000 Noxon-Pinecreek 230kV: Ready Fiber Optic - $650,000 System-Replace/Install Capacitor Banks - $800,000 Benewah-Shawnee 230 kV Construction - $560,000 Mos23-N Moscow 115 Recond - $585,000 DeFelice, Di 17 Avista Corporation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Burke 115 kV Protection & Metering - $525,000 Beacon Storage Yard oil Containment - $527,000 Other small specific transmission projects - $936,000 Transmission Minor Rebuild - $1,069,000 System Rebuild Transmission - $928,000 Interchange and Borderline Metering Upgrades $642,000 pine Creek - $350,000 Replacement Programs - $2,234,000 Other small transmission proj ects - $670,000 Electric Distribution ($46.7 million): The electric distribution proj ects that will transfer to plant in service are described in detail in Mr.Kinney's direct testimony at pages 22 through 24. A listing of these proj ects follows: Electric Distribution Minor Blanket - $7,922,000 Capital Distribution Feeder Repair Work - $4,100,000 Wood Pole Management - $3,700,000 Electric Underground Replacement - $3,156,000 T&D Line Relocation - $2,297,000 Failed Electric Plant - $1,987,000 Sys-Dist Reliability-improve Fdrs - $1,100,000 Open Wire Secondary Elimination - $1,000,000 Plumer-Increase Capacity/Rebuild - $1,525,000 Idaho Road Sub/Rathdrum - $4,896,000 System Wood Substation Rebuilds - $3,600,000 Distribution Feeder Reconductor - ID - $727,000 The electric distribution proj ects specific to the washington jurisdiction that are not described in detail in Mr. Kinney's direct testimony follows: Spokane Electric Network Capacity - $1,615,000 Terre View 115-Sub Construct (WSU) - $1,962,000 Otis Orchards Substation - $980,000 Othello Transformer Replacement - $665,000 Northeast Substation - $225,000 Valley Mall Transfer Capacity - $200,000 Distribution Feeder Reconductor - WA - $1,050,000 Network Transformers & Network Protectors - $800,000 Additional distribution projects follows: Power Transformer-Distribution - $680,000 Installation of distribution power transformers asrequired. DeFelice, Di 18 Avista Corporation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 ID AMR - $600,000 The 4-year Automated completed in late 2008. for network optimization. Meter Reading Proj ect was Additional capital will be WSDOT Highway Franchise Consolidation - $800,000 In order to operate our electric system within State highway rights of way, the Company needs to establish new Franchises. Existing franchises have expired and Avista must seek new agreements with the State or risk penal ties or non-approval by the State. Other small distribution proj ects - $1,083,000 Please refer to the workpapers of Mr. DeFelice for detailed listing of proj ects. General ($14.8 million): Security Initiative - $508,000 Various security measures including cameras and access controls for the office and branch facilities. Next Generation Radio System - $1,500,000Antiquated Radio system technology necessary to operate the business is being refreshed to comply with changing FCC regulation. Structures and Improvements - $3,360,000 This is a group of capital maintenance projects that Facilities Management coordinates at the Spokane Central Operating Facilities and Avista branch facilities - offices and service centers. For 2009, some of the proj ects include: roof replacements, land acquisi tion for facility expansion, HVAC system replacement at some branch offices, energy efficiency projects, security projects, emergency generators, asphalt overlays and replacement, and office furnitureaddi tions and replacement. Stores Equipment - $598,000 Equipment utilized in warehouses and/or recovery operations throughout the service This includes equipment such as forklifts, shelving, cutting/binding machines, etc. investmentterritory. man lifts, Tools, Lab & Shop Equipment - $1,285,000 Expenditures in this category include all large tools and instruments used throughout the company for gas and/or electric construction and maintenance work, distribution, transmission, or generation operations, DeFelice, Di 19 Avista Corporation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 telecommunications, and some fleet equipment (hoists, winch, etc) not permanently attached to the vehicle. Productivity Initiative - $1,147,000 Various initiatives that increase benefits based on future avoided costs. producti vi ty HVAC Renovation Proj ect - $4,159,000 The heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systemsthroughout the Spokane Central Operating Facilities are approximately fifty years old and are in need ofreplacement. The proj ect involves replacing central air handling units and distribution systems in three buildings - the Spokane Service Center, the general office building, and the cafeteria auditorium building. The building envelope of the general office building will also be renovated with high efficiency glass and insulation. New controls will also be installed which will enable energy conservation. Spokane Central Operating Facility Crescent Realignment - $1,500,000 Vacate a city street that bisects the Spokane campus to eliminate public traffic across parking lots and operating facilities, improving facility safety andsecurity. Other Small Proj ects - $750,000 These proj ects include communication and initiatives, radio equipment, telephone office and other general facility upgrades. security systems, Transportation ($9.6 million): Transportation Equipment - $9,635,000 Expendi tures are for the scheduled replacement of trucks, off-road construction equipment and trailers that meet the company i s guidelines for replacementincluding age, mileage, hours of use and overall condition. In addition, includes additions to the fleet for new positions or crews working to support the maintenance and construction of our electric andgas operations. Technology ($11.5 million): Information Technology Refresh Blanket - $4,410,000 A program to replace obsolete technology according to Avista's refresh cycles that are generally driven by DeFelice, Di 20 Avista Corporation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 hardware/software manufacturer and industry trends tomaintain business operations. Information Technology Expansion Blanket - $981,000 A program to deliver technology associated with expansion of existing solutions. AFM Product Development Program - $1,115,000 Deliver enhancements to the electric and natural gas Facility Management technology system. Nucleus Product Development Program - $556,000 Deliver enhancements to the Nucleus energy resource management technology system. Web Product Development Program - $627,000 A program to deliver enhancements to the Customerbased Web technology system. Mobile Dispatch Upgrade - $800,000 Upgrade the Mobile Dispatch application system from V7.7 to V8. Mobile Dispatch 2 - $1,372,000 Implement Mobile Dispatch application for electric service and meter shop processes. Other Small Technology Proj ects - $1,655,000 These proj ects include various small technology proj ects including, technology to provide for field office use of Learning Management System, a Meter Data Management solution, a work management technology system to the Generation Production and Substation Support organization, and replacement of existing Real Estate permits application which is end-of-life with Valumation Contract Management System. Jackson Prairie Storage ($0.3 million): Jackson Prairie Storage Project - $306,000 This completes the capital project that Avista and its partners started for an expansion proj ect at Jackson Prairie for deliverability that was in service in the fall of 2008. Natural Gas Distribution ($22.2 million): Replace Deteriorated Pipe - $1,000,000 This annual proj ect will replace sections of existing gas piping that are suspect for failure or have DeFelice, Di 21 Avista Corporation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 deteriorated within the gas system. This project will address the replacement of sections of gas main that no longer operate reliably and/or safely. Sections of the gas system require replacement due to many factors including material failures, environmental impact, increase leak frequency, or coating problems. Thisproj ect will identify and replace sections of main to improve public safety and system reliability. Gas Replacement Street and Highways - $1,200,000 This annual proj ect will replace sections of existing gas piping that require replacement due to relocation or improvement of streets or highways in areas where gas piping is installed. Avista installs many of its facilities in public right-of-way under established franchise agreements. Avista is required under the franchise agreements, in most cases, to relocate its facilities when they are in conflict with road or highway improvements. Gas Non-Revenue Blanket - $2,500,000 This annual proj ect will replace sections of existing gas piping that require replacement to improve theoperation of the gas system but are not directly linked to new revenue. The proj ect includes relocation of main related to overbuilds, improvement in equipment and/or technology to improve system operation and/or maintenance, replacement of obsolete facili ties, replacement of main to improve cathodic performance, and proj ects to improve public safety and/ or improve sys tem rel iabi 1 i ty . East Medford Reinforcement Proj ect - $4,451,000 This Oregon gas distribution project is not includedin this filing. Replace Gas ERT's w/ Batteries ~10yrs - $2,700,000 This proj ect will replace Gas ERT' s that are greater than 10 years old, which is their economic life. ERT battery life is finite and although that life is greater than 10 years, it is cost effective to replace the ERTS' s prior to them failing in the field. This proj ect will ensure continued reliable metering operation by ensuring the ERT technology operates properly. Approximately 12,000 ERT's will be replacedin Washington and 21, 000 in Oregon. Kettle Falls Relocation - $5,198,000 This multi-phased project installed a new gate station in 2008 on the west side of Spokane to serve the DeFelice, Di 22 Avista Corporation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 existing high pressure (HP) distribution and future replacement pipe that is part of the Kettle Falls HP main. The existing Kettle Falls Gate Station and HP Kettle Falls main have experienced significant encroachment due to growth in the north Spokane area. Seètions of the main will be relocated to ensure continued safe reliable operation of the pipe system. The new gate station will improve the safety and reliabili ty of operating the high pressure main and improve the gate station delivery capacity into theKettle Falls HP system. Future phases of this project will re-route sections of the existing HP Kettle Falls main to improve system capacity and public safety. US2 North Spokane HP Reinforcement (Kaiser Property) - $1,199,000 This proj ect will reinforce the north central portion of Spokane near US2 by extending the existing HP piping system and installing a new regulator station to reinforce the existing distribution system. The north Spokane distribution system experiences lowpressures during high system demand in the winter. The area fails the gas planning model for a designday. Growth in the area has reduced Avis ta 's abi 1 i ty to reliably serve gas from its existing distribution system during a design day. This proj ect will improve delivery pressure and reliability. Other Small Projects - $3,901,000 Please refer to the workpapers of Mr. DeFelice for detailed listing of proj ects. iV. ADJUSTMNT METHODOLOGY Q.What was the general approach to computing the 36 pro form adjustments for investment in capital projects? 37 38 A.The Company used the same general approach that was used in the previous general rate case.The 2008 and 39 2009 capital investments were tracked separately to 40 simplify the computation and to make it easier to follow. 41 For each vintage, capital additions, depreciation and DFIT 42 were computed to derive rate base at December 31, 2008 and DeFelice, Di 23 Avista Corporation 1 December 31, 2009 and to compute operating expenses in the 2 pro forma rate year. 3 Q.What reports or data were used in the 4 computation? 5 A.The Company maintains results of operations 6 reports that are prepared for each service and jurisdiction 7 on an average of monthly averages (AM) basis and on an end 8 of period (EOP) basis that were used in this computation. 9 Actual 2008 plant additions were used from the plant 10 accounting system to determine the month of addition and 11 the amount of additions that were for revenue producing 12 projects.Capital additions for 2009 (described above) 13 were based on specific capital requirements for 2009. 14 Capital additions for 2009 that were for revenue producing 15 projects were separated out and excluded. The Company did 16 not include any 2010 capital additions in this filing. 17 Q.Are the computations for all services and 18 jurisdictions the same? 19 A.Yes, they are.Because of this, only the Idaho 20 electric data will be used below to describe the 21 methodology for computing the adjustments. The adjustments 22 for Idaho gas were computed in a similar manner. 23 Q.Please explain in detail the computation of the 24 adjustment as it relates to rate base. DeFelice, Di 24 Avista Corporation 1 A.There are three steps to determine the rate base 2 adjustment at December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2009, as 3 follows: 4 Step 1 - Adjust AH Septemer 30, 2008 to EOP Decemer 31, 5 2008 (Pro Form Capital Additions 2008 Adjustment) 6 7 The first step was to determine an adjusted December 8 31, 2008 EOP net plant balance that includes only the AM 9 revenue producing capital through September 30, 2008. The 10 Company's December 31, 2007 EOP results of operations 11 reports was the starting point. 12 The gross plant at December 31, 2007 at EOP includes 13 all revenue producing capital added in 2007.Since the 14 test period begins with October 1,2007, it is necessary to 15 remove the average of monthly averages of those additions 16 for the last three months of 2007, since 2007 test year 17 includes AM customers and revenue (this is explained 18 further below). The 2008 capital additions, excluding all 19 revenue producing capital, were added.In addition, the 20 average of monthly averages of the revenue producing 21 capital for the nine months ended September 30, 2008 was 22 also added. 23 The EOP gross plant at December 31, 2008 was computed 24 as follows: 25 26 DeFelice, Di 25 Avista Corporation EOP Gross Plant at 12/31/07 per Results of Operations Add: 2008 Capital Additions (Excluding Revenue Producing) ($OOO's) $912,978 $32,380 Less: October - December 2007 Revenue Producing Capital Additions Add: January - September 2008 AMA Revenue Producing Capital Additions ($1,590) $2.821 EOP Adjusted Gross Plant at 12/31/08 $946,589 1 2 The pro forma capital additions 2008 adjustment in 3 Company witness Ms. Andrews' testimony at Exhibit No. 10, 4 Schedule 1, page 8, for gross plant of $27,213,000 was 5 computed by subtracting the AM gross plant balance used in 6 the filing of $919,376,000 from the calculated EOP adjusted 7 gross plant balance of $946,589,000.Addi tional details 8 regarding these adjustments are provided in Ms. Andrews' 9 workpapers . 10 This same process was used for both accumulated 11 depreciation and deferred income taxes, to arrive at EOP 12 adjusted amount at December 31, 2008 for the 2008 vintage 13 plant assets. The pro forma capital additions adjustment 14 for accumulated depreciation of $19,393,000 was computed by 15 subtracting the AM accumulated depreciation balance used 16 in the filing of $314,219,000 from the calculated EOP 17 adjusted accumulated depreciation balance of $333,612,000. 18 The pro forma capital additions adjustment for DFIT of 19 ($4,162,000) was computed by subtracting the AM DFIT DeFelice, Di 26 Avista Corporation 1 balance used in the filing of ($82,407,000) from the 2 calculated EOP adjusted DFIT balance of ($86,5695,000). 3 Step 2 - Adjust 2008 Vintage Plant to EOP Decemer 31, 2009 4 (Pro For. Capital Additions 2009 Adjustment - Part A) 5 The second step was to determine rate base at December 6 31, 2009 for the 2008 vintage plant assets.Only 7 accumulated depreciation and deferred taxes are impacted. 8 Depreciation expense of $25,467,000 was computed on gross 9 plant at December 31, 2008, adjusted for projected 2009 10 retirements, using the average effective depreciation rates 11 by functional plant group.Depreciation expense on the 12 2008 revenue producing capital additions has been excluded. 13 The deferred tax impact on the 2008 vintage plant assets, 14 was ($3,460,000).These changes to rate base at December 15 31, 2009 are added to the 2009 vintage plant additions 16 (discussed below) to derive the pro forma capital additions 17 adjustment for 2009, detailed in Ms. Andrews' testimony at 18 Exhibi t No. 10, Schedule 1, page 8.Additional details 19 regarding these adjustments are provided in Ms. Andrews' 20 workpapers . 21 Step 3 - Add 2009 Vintage Plant to EOP Decemer 31, 200922 (Pro For.a Capital Additions 2009 Adjustment - Part B) 23 The capital additions for 2009 were sumarized by 24 functional plant categories and either directly assigned or 25 allocated to the services and jurisdictions based on 26 standard Company practices.The amoun t 0 f revenue DeFelice, Di 27 Avista Corporation 1 producing capital additions in 2009 by service and 2 jurisdiction was excluded.The additions were further 3 summarized by the month they are expected to be transferred 4 to plant in service.Using the average effective 5 depreciation rates by functional plant group,AM 6 depreciation expense was computed in order to include the 7 partial year convention of depreciation that will actually 8 be recorded in 2009. 9 For the Idaho electric service, plant additions were 10 $47,447,000, depreciation expense was $846,000 and DFIT was 11 ($778,000). These 2009 costs are added to the 2008 vintage 12 plant 2009 costs (discussed above) to derive the pro forma 13 capital additions adjustment to rate base for 2009. 14 A summary of the pro forma capital additions 2009 15 adjustment follows: ($OOO's)Part A Part B Total 2008 Vintage 2009 Vintage Adjustment to Plant Plant Rate Base Plant in Service $0 $47,447 $47,447 Accumulated Depreciation $25,467 $846 $26,313 DFIT ($3,460)($778)($4,238) 16 17 18 Q.What other impact does the '2008 and 2009 capital 19 additions have on this case in addition to the rate base 20 impact? DeFelice, Di 28 Avista Corporation 1 A.Depreciation expense and property taxes have been 2 computed for the 2008 and 2009 plant vintages for the pro 3 forma rate year. 4 The pro forma capital additions 2007 pre-tax 5 depreciation adjustment of $246,000 is computed as follows: 6 7 ($OOO's) Estimated full-year of depreciation expense on the 2008 vintage plant balanceat December 31, 2009 $25,360 12 Months Ended September 30, 2008 test year depreciation expense,adjusted for the depreciation true-up adjustment. $25,111State Taxes ~ Pro forma Capital Additions 2007 Adjustment - Depreciation Expense $246 8 9 10 The pro forma capital additions 2009 pre-tax 11 depreciation and property tax adjustment of $2,603,000 is 12 computed as follows: 13 ($OOO's) Estimated full-year of depreciation expense on the 2009 vintage plant balanceat December 31,2009 $1,932 Estimated full-year of property taxes on the 2009 vintage plant balance atDecember 31, 2009 $699State Taxes ~ Pro Forma Capital Additions 2009 Adjustment - Depreciation and Propert Tax $2.603 Expense 14 15 DeFelice, Di 29 Avista Corporation 1 2 V. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Q.What is the rationale behind the removal of 3 capital expenditures for connecting new customers? 4 A.The pro forma capital expenditures for 2009 that 5 the Company included in this filing excludes distribution 6 related capital expenditures made that are associated with 7 connecting new customers to the Company's system.The 8 Company recognizes the fact that new customers provide 9 incremental revenue that helps offset the revenue 10 requirements of the distribution related capital additions 11 that the Company incurs to provide service to those 12 customers. These adjustments completely eliminated the AM 13 2008 and EOP 2009 capital activity related to new customer 14 connections in order to avoid an unintended mismatch of 15 revenues exceeding the cost to serve customers. 16 Q.In addi tion to excluding capi tal addi tions 17 related to new customers, does the Comany address the 18 2009/2008 revenue difference in other ways? 19 20 A.Yes.The production property adjustment (discussed in Ms.Andrews'testimony)addresses the 21 production and transmission related retail revenue that 22 would be produced by the change in retail load expected in 23 2009/2010 compared to the 2008 normalized test year.All 24 pro forma production and transmission rate base and related 25 expenses from these capital additions adjustments, are DeFelice, Di 30 Avista Corporation 1 reduced in order to reflect the amount needed to be 2 recovered from 2008 sales volumes. 3 VI. CONCLUSION 4 5 Q.What is the impact of the pro form adjustment? A.The proposed adjustment will result in a closer 6 matching of revenues to cost of service to customers during 7 the period new rates will be in effect from this general 8 rate proceeding.without the proposed adjustment, the 9 Company would not have the opportunity to earn its allowed 10 rate of return on investment during the rate year. 11 Q.Does this conclude your pre-filed direct 12 testimony? 13 A.Yes, it does. DeFelice, Di 31 Avista Corporation DAVID J. MEYER VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF COUNSEL OF 2009 JAN 23 PM 12: 43 REGULATORY & GOVERNENTAL AFFAIRS AVISTA CORPORATION P.O. BOX 3727 1411 EAST MISSION AVENUE SPOKAE, WASHINGTON 99220-3727 TELEPHONE: (509) 495-4316 FACSIMILE: (509) 495-8851 BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION ) CASE NO. AVU-E-09-01 OF AVISTA CORPORATION FOR THE ) CASE NO. AVU-G-09-01 AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES ) AND CHARGES FOR ELECTRIC AND ) NATURAL GAS SERVICE TO ELECTRIC ) EXHIBIT NO. 9 AND NATURAL GAS CUSTOMERS IN THE )STATE OF IDAHO ) DAVE B. DEFELICE ) FOR AVISTA CORPORATION (ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS) Ca p i t a l E x p e n d i t u r e s $2 5 0 $2 0 0 -;l .S~ $1 5 0 $1 0 0 $5 $2 1 0 $ 2 1 0 $0 20 0 5 . . 20 0 6 2 0 7 20 0 2 0 0 Bu d g e t 20 1 0 Bu d g e t . G e n e r a t i o n . E l e c t i c T & D .2 3 0 k V P r o j e c t . Gr o w t h . e n v i r o n m e n t a l . IS / I T .G a s . Ot h e r ** 2 0 0 5 e x c l u d e s $ 5 7 . 5 f o r t h e p u r c h a s e o f t h e s e c n d h a l f o f Co y o t e S p r i n g s 2 a n d $ 1 7 . 8 f o r t h e o f f i c e b u i l d i n g p u r c h a s e . Ei N o . 9 Ca N o A Y U E - 1 & Av t 1 D. D e c e . A v I SC 1 p , 1 o f 1 Avista 2009 Capital Additions Detail (System)!1 !1Ge:Ge:Th - Ke Fal Cata Prje 1,735 Sety Intive 50 Th - Colstrp Capta Adtions 6,2 Next Geon Rao Sys 1,50 Th- Ot sm prjec 84 Stttu & Imvets 3,36Hyd - Cain Go Cata Prjec 80 Sto Eqpmt 598 Hyd - Litt Fal Capta Prjec 525 Tools La & Sho Eqpmt 1,2 Hyd - Lo La Caita Prje 591 Prtivity Intive 1,147 Hyd - Noxon Capta Prje 1,25 COF HV AC Imvet 4,159 Hyd - Upp Fal Cata Prje 1.910 Spo Cetr Op Fac N Crt Regi 1.s Hyd - Noxon Raids Unit 1 Run Upg 17,171 Ot sma gen prjec 750Hyd - Cl Fo Imlet PM Agt 2,107 14JHyd - Ot sm prje 1.142 Ot - Nor Combustion Tu Prje 94 Trrt: Ot - CS2 Capta Prjec 575 Traon Eqpmt 9,6 Ot - CS2 LTSA 2.00 Ot sm geon prje 81937,9 Ted:Inoron Teclo Re Bla 4,410E1ee TI':Inor Teclo Expaon Bla 981 Low 23 - Rebui 23 tV Yar 2.05 AF Pr Deopt Pr 1,115SpoA 115 tV Li Relay Upg 1.25 Nucleu Prct Deelopt Prgr 556 Power Cit Bre 54 Web Pruc Delot Pr 627 SCADA Relat 740 Mobi Disp Upg 80 Noxon-Pi 23tV:Reay Fibe Opc 65 Mobe Disp 2 1,372 SysteRelata Cato Ban 80 Ot sm telogy prje 1.655Bealhawn 23 tv Conon 560 11,516 M0sN Mosw 115 Rec 585Bur 115 tv Pron & Metg 52S Ga StongBe Sto Yar Oil Cotat 527 Jac Pre Sto 3ØOt sm spefi trmission prje 936Tramion Mi Reb 1.06 Nat Ga DI: Sys Rebd Trasmion 92 Rela Deorg Ga Syste 1,00Intehage an Bor Metng Upg 642 Gas ReJat&wy 1,2 Pi Cr 350 Ga Ditrbution NonRevenue Bla 2.sReplat Prgr 2.Ea Med Reiont 4,451Ot sm trmion prjec 670 Rela Ga ERTs wI Baes :: 10 yr 2.700 ReRte Ke Fal Fd & Ga Staon 5,198 15,1 US2 N Spo Ga HP Reon (Kase Pr)1,199 El Dition:Ot sm dibution prje 3,901 Elc Distbution Mi Bla 7.922 P.15Capta Distrbution Fe Rep Work 4.100Woo Pole Mat 3.700 Tot NoReene Ca 1504El Und Replat 3,156 T&D Li Relotion 2,291 Grwtveue - Prg 47,510 Faied Elc Plt 1,987 Spo Elc Netor Caty 1,615 SysDi Reliabty-Imve Fd 1,100 Tot Capita Addti in 20 20,558 Op Wir Secnd Elon 1,00 Plum-In CatylRebui 1,525ld Roa Sub 4,896 Syste Woo Subon Rebds 3,60 Ter View 1 15-Sub Constr (WSU)1.962 Ot Orha Subson 980Otll Tra Relat 66 Nor Subson 22 Val Ma Tra Capty 20 Power Xf-Distbution 68Distbution Fe Recet - ID 727 Dibution Fe Recdu - W A 1.05 IDAM 60Net Traom & Net Pr 80 WSDO Highway Frahi Conlidaon 80 Oter sma ditrbution prts 1,083 460 Exhbit No.9 Case Nos. A VU-E--Oland A VU-G-0-0L D. DeFelice, A vista Schedule 2, p. 1 of 1