20190215Comments.pdf

SEAN COSTELLO
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074
[phone]
IDAHO BAR NO. 8743
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
OF AVISTA CORPORATION DBA AVISTA
UTILITIES FOR AUTHORITY TO REVISE
ITS ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS
DEPRECIATION RATES
R[CTIVED
ti i! FIB I S pH t: 0l+
Street Address for Express Mail:
472W. WASHINGTON
BOISE, IDAHO 83702-5918
Attorney for the Commission Staff
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
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CASE NO. AVU.E.18.O3
AVU-G-I8-02
COMMENTS OF THE
COMMISSION STAFF
The Staff of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission submits the following comments in
the above captioned matter.
BACKGROUND
On February 23,2018, Avista Corporation dba Avista Utilities ("Avista" or "the
Company") filed an Application requesting that the Commission approve changes to the
Company's depreciation rates for electric and natural gas property. The Company included a
request for an effective date of January 1,2019. Avista last changed its Idaho book depreciation
rates in January and April 2013. Order No. 32769.
The Commission subsequently issued a Notice of Application and set an intervention
deadline of April 23,2018. Order No. 34014. Clearwater Paper, Idaho Conservation League
(ICL), Idaho Forest Group, and the Sierra Club intervened as parties. Order Nos. 34016 , 34049.
1STAFF COMMENTS FEBRUARY I5,2OI9
In Order No. 341 16, the Commission issued a Notice of Schedule and Modified
Procedure establishing a schedule for settlement conferences and a November 15, 2018, date for
parties to file comments.
On August 23,2018, Avista filed an Agreed-Upon Motion to Revise Schedule, which
asked the Commission to revise the schedule in this case and to recognize that the Company is
extending the proposed effective date for its new depreciation rates to April 1,2019. ln
approving that motion, the Commission established a new schedule for settlement conferences
and a comment deadline of February 15,2019. Order No. 34133.
STAFF COMMENTS
Settlement conferences were held on December 11,2018, and January 22,2019, with the
purpose of narrowing or resolving the contested issues within this proceeding. As a result of
these meetings, and further discussion amongst the parties, the parties have reached an
agreement in principle, resulting in a proposed Stipulation and Settlement.
On February 13,2019, the Company circulated a final version of the Stipulation and
Settlement for signatures, along with a copy of the Motion for Approval of Stipulation and
Settlement to the parties. The Motion, which will be jointly signed by all parties, seeks to
suspend the existing procedural schedule, and substitute in its place a date of March I , 2019, for
the filing of comments under Modified Procedure. No reply comments are envisioned as
necessary.
Staff now files these comments because it is unsure whether the parties will be able to
obtain a fully executed Stipulation and Settlement prior to the February 15,2019, comment
deadline previously established in OrderNo. 34133. Staff submits these comments to apprise the
Commission of the current status of the case. Staff fully intends to file additional commentary in
support of the Settlement and Stipulation on or before March 1,2019, if the Commission
approves the parties Motion for Approval of Stipulation and Settlement.
2STAFF COMMENTS FEBRUARY 15,2019
Respectfully submitted this l$+"-day of February 2019.
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Deputy General
Technical Staff: Donn English
i:umisc/comments/avue 1 8.3_avugl 8.2scde comments
aJSTAFF COMMENTS FEBRUARY I5,2OI9
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I HAVE THIS 15TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2019,
SERVED THE FOREGOING COMMENTS OF THE COMMISSION STAFF, IN
CASE NOS. AVU-E-I8-03/AVU-G-18-02, BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF,
POSTAGE PREPAID, TO THE FOLLOWING:
PATRICK EHRBAR
SR MGR RATES & TARIFFS
AVISTA CORPORATION
PO BOX3727
SPOKANE W A 99220-3727
E-mail: [e-mail]
avi stadockets@avi stacorp. com
BENJAMIN J OTTO
ID CONSERVATION LEAGUE
710 N 6TH ST
BOISE ID 8370I
E-mail: [e-mail]
RONALD L WILLIAMS
WILLIAMS BRADBURY PC
PO BOX 388
BOISE ID 8370I
E-mail : ron@,williamsbradbury.com
PETER J RICHARDSON
RICHARDSON ADAMS PLLC
PO BOX 7218
BOISE TD 83702
E-mail: [e-mail]
ELECTRONIC SERVICE ONLY
LARRY CROWLEY, DIR
ENERGY STRATEGIES INST.
E-MAIL : [e-mail]
ELECTRONIC SERVICE ONLY
CAROL HAUGEN
E.MAIL:
carol.hau [e-mail]
DAVID J MEYER
VP & CHIEF COUNSEL
AVISTA CORPORATION
PO BOX3727
SPOKANE WA99220-3727
E-mail: [e-mail]
MATTHEW GEHART
ENVIRONMENTA LAW PROGRAM
SIERRA CLUB
1536 WYNKOOP ST STE 2OO
DENVER CO 80202
E-mail: matt. [e-mail]
DEAN J MILLER
36208 WARM SPRINGS AVE
BOISE ID 83716
E-mail : [e-mail]
DR DON READING
6070 HTLL ROAD
BOISE ID 83703
E-mail: [e-mail]
ELECTRONIC SERVICE ONLY
MARV LEWALLEN
E.MAIL:
marv. lewallen@ clearwaterpaper.com
.. Ir', "
SECRETARY
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE