20100727Motion for Approval.pdf

Avista Corp.
1411 East Mission P.O. Box 3727
Spokane. Washington 99220-0500
Telephone [phone]
Toll Free 800.727.9170
~'V'STA.
Corp.
FILED ELECTRONICALLY AN VIA OVERNGHT MA
July 26,2010
Re: Case Nos. AVU-E-10-0l and A VU-G-1O-01
Avista's Motion for Approval of Stipulation and Settlement
~o:
Ei-N-.
Jean D. Jewell
Commission Secretary
Idaho Public Utilìties Commission
472 W. Washington Street
Boise, il 83702 ~õ..NCJ
Enclosed for filìng with the Commission in the above-referei:ced docket are the original and seven
copies of Avista's Motion for Approval of Stipulation and Settlement (with Stipulation attached)
dated July 26,2010.
Certain paries to the Stipulation intend to file testimony in support of the Stipulation, on or before
August 5, 2010.
Sincerely,
~ ~~.-
Kelly Norwood
Vice President, State and Federal Regulation
Enclosures
c: Service List
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY that I have this 26th day of July, 2010, served the foregoing Settlement
Stipulation in Docket No. AVU-E-10-01 and AVU-G-10-01 upon the following parties, by mailng a
copy thereof, properly addressed with postage prepaid to:
Jean D Jewell, Secretary
Idaho Public Utilties Commission
Statehouse
Boise, ID 83720-5983
Jean.iewell~puc. idaho.gov
Brad M. Purdy
Attorney at Law
2019 N 1 ih Street
Boise,ID 83720
bmpurdy~hotmail.com
Kristine Sasser
Donald Howell
Deputy Attorneys General
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
472 W. Washington
Boise,lD 83702-0659
kristine. sasser~puc. idaho .gov
donald. howell~puc.idaho.gov
Peter J. Richardson
Greg M. Adams
Richardson & O'Leary PLLC
515 N. 2ih Street
PO Box 7218
Boise, ID 83702
peter~richardsonandoleary. com
9 reg~richardsondoleary. com
Howard Ray
Clearwater Paper
803 Mil Road
P.O. Box 1126
Lewiston, ID 83501-1126
howard. ray~c1earwaterpaper. com
Dean J. Miller
McDevitt & Miller, LLP
420 W. Bannock St.
PO Box 2564-83701
Boise,ID 83701-2564
ioe~mcdevitt-miller.com
Scott Atkison
Idaho Forest Products
171 Highway 95 N.
Grangeville,ID 83530
scotta~idahoforestgroup. com
Larry Crowley
Energy Strategies Institute
5549 South Cliffs Edge Avenue
Boise, ID 83716
crowleyla~aol.com
Rowena Pineda
3450 Hill Rd
Boise, ID 83703-4715
Rowena(áidahocan.org
Lee Ann Hall
3518 S. Edmunds St.
Seattle, WA 98118
leannt.nwfco.org
Benjamin J. Otto
Idaho Conservation league
710 N. 6th St.
PO Box 844
Boise,ID 83702
botto(áidahoconservation.org
Rob Pluid, President
Clark Fairchild, Vice President
Tom Ozford, Secretary Treasurer
North Idaho Energy Logs Inc.
P.O. Box 571
Moyie Springs, ID 83845
robpluid(ágmail.com
energylogs(ágmail. com
oxford(ámeadowcrk.com
Ken Miler
Snake River alliance
Box 1731
Boise, ID 83701
km iller(ásnakeriveralliance.org
pattq:.o ~
Rates Coordinator
David J. Meyer, Esq.
Vice President and Chief Counsel For
Regulatory and Governmental Affairs
A vista Corporation
1411 E. Mission Avenue
P.O. Box 3727
Spokane, Washington 99220
Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]
Donald L. Howell, II
Krstine Sasser
Deputy Attorneys General
Idaho Publìc Utilìties Commssion Staff
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0074
Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]
RE
lOID JUt 27 AM fO: 25
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMSSION
IN THE MATTR OF THE APPUCATION
OF AVISTA CORPORATION FOR THE
AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES
AN CHARGES FOR ELECTRIC AN
NATURAL GAS SERVICE TO ELECTRIC
AN NATURAL GAS CUSTOMERS IN TH
STATE OF IDAHO
)
) CASE NOS. AVU-E-1O-01
) AVU-G-lO-01
)
) MOTION FOR APPROV ALOF
) STIPULATION AND
) SETTMENT AN
REVISIONS TO
PROCEDURAL SCHEDUL
COMES NOW, Avista Corporation ("Avista" or "Company") and the
Commssion Staff, and hereby move the Commssion for an Order accepting the settlement
Stipulation fied herewith and revising the procedural schedule. RP 56; 272; 274. Tils
Motion is based on the following:
1. On March 23, 2010, A vista fied an Applìcation with the Commssion for
authority to increase revenue from electric and natural gas service in Idaho by 14% and 3.6%,
respectively. If approved, the Company's revenues for electric base retail rates would have
Motion for Approval of Stipulation - AVU-E/G-lO-01 Page 1 of 4
increased by $32.1 mìllon annually; Company revenues for natural gas service would have
increased by $2.6 mìllon annually. The Company requested an effective date of April 23,
2010 for its proposed electric/natural gas rate increase. By Order No. 31038, dated April 9,
2010, the Commssion suspended the proposed schedules of rates and charges for electric
and natural gas service for a period of thirty (30) days plus five (5) months, from April 23,
2010, untì1 such time as the Commssion enters an Order accepting, rejecting or modifying
the Applìcation in this matter.
2. Petitions to intervene in tils proceeding were fied by Clearater, Idaho
Forest, CAP AI, the Idaho Conservation League, the Idaho Community Action Network
("ICAN"), the Snake River Allance, and North Idaho Energy Logs. By varous orders, the
Commssion granted these interventions. See, IPUC Order Nos. 31041, 31052, 31054, 31058,
31068, 31069 and 31070.
3. Publìc workshops for Avista customers were held on June 28, 2010, in
Lewiston, Idaho, and on June 29, 2010, in Coeur d Alene, Idaho, for the purose of
explaining the Company's Applìcation, and in order to provide an opportnity for customers
to ask questions of Staff. No customers attended the workshop in Lewiston, and
approximately five customers attended in Coeur d Alene. Settlement conferences were
subsequently noticed and held in the Commssion offices on July 6 and 8, 2010, and were
attended by signatories to this Stipulation.
4. Based on settlement discussions, the Paries whose signatures appear on the
Stipulation have agreed to resolve and settle all of the issues in the case. A copy of the
signed Stipulation evidencing that settlement is enclosed as Attachment 1.
Motion for Approval of Stipulation - AVU-E/G-lO-01 Page 2 of 4
5. The Paries recommend that the Commssion grant this Motion and approve
the Stipulation in its entirety, without material change or condition, pursuant to RP 274.
6. The Paries respectfully request that the Commssion consider the Motion, the
Stipulation, and the pre-filed testimony in support of the Stipulation at the time of the
technical evidentiar hearngs.
7. As noted in the Stipulation, all of the Paries agree that the Stipulation is in
the publìc interest and that all of its terms and conditions are fair, just and reasonable.
8. The technical hearng was previously scheduled to begin on September 22,
2010. As par of this Motion, the Paries request that the procedural schedule be modified to
vacate the existing schedule for technical hearngs and establìsh August 26, 2010 as the new
date for technical hearngs on the proposed settlement (assumìng Commssioner availabilty).
This wil afford the Commssion additional time to delìberate on the proposed settlement
prior to the requested effective date of October 1,2010. The existing date of August 5, 2010
for the pre-fiing of staff/intervener testimony would be used as the date for filìng testimony
concerning the settlement itself. The Paries otherwise understand that the Commssion wil
set additional Publìc Hearngs for the receipt of testimony from interested customers.
NOW, THREFORE, the Paries respectfully request that the Commssion issue
orders in Case Nos. AVU-E-lO-01 and AVU-G-1O-01:
1. Granting this Motion and accepting the Stipulation (Attachment 1), in its
entirety, without material change or condition; and
2. Authorizing the Company to implement revised tarff schedules designed to
recover the additional annual electrc and natural gas revenue from Idaho customers
consistent with the terms of the Stipulation; and
Motion for Approval of Stipulation - AVU-E/G-10-01 Page 3 of 4
3. Authorizing that revised taiff schedules be made effective October 1, 2010.
Respectflly submitted this 23 rd day of July 2010.
r;w'~.Meylr
~u.ey for A vista Corporation~~~DonaHell, II §
Kristine Sasser
Deputy Attorneys General
Idao Public Utilties Commission Staff
Motion for Approval of Stipulation - AVU-E/G-10-01 Page 4 of4