20150313Prehearing Conference Results.pdf

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..1,'STATE OF IDAHO
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
LAWRENCE G. WASDEN
HAND.DELIVERED
March 13,2015
Jean D. Jewell
Commission Secretary
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83120-0074
Re: Prehearing Conference in Case Nos. IPC-E-15-01, AVU-E-15-01, PAC-E-15-03
Dear Ms. Jewell:
This letter is to inform the Commission of the outcome of the informal prehearing conference in
the above-referenced cases held March 10,2015. With all the parties in the three consolidated
cases present except for Amalgamated Sugar, the parties reviewed the two sets of the Petitions to
Clarifu the Commission's Order No. 33222 in the lead proceeding, Case No. IPC-E-I5-01.
Following a discussion among the parties, there was a general consensus among all present that
the Petitions to Clarify filed by Intermountain Energy Partners and Renewable Energy Coalition
should be granted. More specifically, these intervenors suggested that the Commission's Order
reducing new PURPA contracts from 20 years to five years on an interim basis be clarified to be
inapplicable to SAR-based PURPA contracts. Idaho Power conceded and the other two utilities
agreed that the requested interim relief of five-year maximum length contracts should not apply
to PURPA QF projects eligible for published rates. Consequently, I'm pleased to report that all
the parties agreed the Commission should amend its Order No.33222 to reflect this clarification.
The other set of Petitions for Clarification were filed by Clearwater Paper and J.R. Simplot
Company. They asserted that the five-year interim relief granted in Order No. 33222 should
apply only to 'onew intermittent solar and wind projects." Cross-Petition at 3-4. They also
argued that "there is no record suggesting a need to reduce the maximum contract length for any
type of IPURPA] resource other than wind and solar." Id. at 5. The parties present at the
informal prehearing conference were unable to reach consensus on the Petitions submitted by
Clearwater and Simplot. Consequently, the parties suggested that the Commission set a schedule
requiring responses to the Clearwater-Simplot Cross-Petitions be due March 19,2015, and allow
the petitioners to reply no later than March 26,2015.
Contracts & Administrative Law Division, ldaho Public Utilities Commission
PO. Box 83720, Boise, ldaho 83720-0074, Telephone: [phone], FAX: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail]
Located at 472 West Washington St., Boise, ldaho 83702
Jean D. Jewell
March 13,20t5
Page2
The parties also proposed a schedule for processing this case, which will be presented to the
Commission at its March 16 Decision Meeting.
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Donald L. Ho$ell, II
Deputy Auorney General
cc: Parties of Record (via e-mail)
bls/L;IPC-E-15-01 AVU-E-I5-01 PAC-E-I5-03 dh