20220908Notice_of_Applications_Order_No_35523.pdf

NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 35523 1
Office of the Secretary
Service Date
September 8, 2022
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF AVISTA’S
APPLICATIONS FOR DETERMINATION OF
ITS 2020-2021 ELECTRIC AND NATURAL
GAS ENERGY EFFICIENCY EXPENSES AS
PRUDENTLY INCURRED
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CASE NO. AVU-E-22-13
AVU-G-22-05

NOTICE OF APPLICATIONS

NOTICE OF
INTERVENTION DEADLINE

ORDER NO. 35523

On August 1, 2022, Avista Corporation dba Avista Utilities (“Company”) filed two
Applications, each requesting the Commission issue an order finding that the Company’s electric
or natural gas energy efficiency expenditures from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021
were prudently incurred (referred to collectively as the “Applications”). The Applications
summarize the Company’s energy efficiency activities and their cost-effectiveness. The
Applications include the Company’s 2020 and 2021 Annual Conservation Reports and Idaho
Incentive Modification Methodology document. The Applications also include the 2020/2021
impact evaluation reports of the Company’s electric and natural gas energy efficiency programs.
The Company requests its Applications be processed by Modified Procedure.
At the August 30, 2022 Decision Meeting, Staff recommended the Commission process
the Applications together and establish a 21-day intervention deadline. We find that processing
these cases together is reasonable and will be an efficient use of resources for any parties wishing
to join. If circumstances change and the issues diverge, we can consider bifurcating the cases at
that time. Consequently, we now issue this Notice of Applications and Notice of Intervention
Deadline establishing a 21-day intervention deadline for interested parties.
NOTICE OF APPLICATIONS
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the Company requests a prudency determination
for $13,236,234 incurred in 2020/2021 for its electric energy efficiency programs portfolio
(“Electric Programs”)—$7,730,146, or 58 % or total expenditures were paid directly to customers.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 35523 2
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that its 2020/2021 third-party process and impact
evaluations concluded the Company’s Idaho Electric Programs cost-effectively saved 30,221
megawatt hours (“MWhs”).1
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company’s Electric Programs had an
underfunded balance of about $4.4 million on January 1, 2022.2 On June 30, 2022, the Company’s
Idaho Electric Program had an overfunded balance of about $4.9 million.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company measures the cost effectiveness
of its Electric Programs using the Utility Cost Test (“UCT”), Total Resource Cost (“TRC”),
Participant Cost Test, and Ratepayer Impact Test. The 2020 UCT and TRC ratios for the
Company’s Electric Programs were 2.23 and 2.02, respectively. The 2021 UCT and TRC ratios
for the Company’s Electric Programs were 1.24 and 1.11, respectively.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company exceeded its energy efficiency
targets set in its Integrated Resource Plan (“IRP”) for 2020, but not 2021. In 2020, the Company
achieved 16,711 MWhs of electric savings, 109% of the IRP target of 15,387 MWhs. In 2021, the
Company achieved 13,510 MWhs of electric savings, 93% of the IRP target of 14,504 MWhs.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company requests a prudency
determination for $4,928,907 incurred in 2020/2021 for its natural gas energy efficiency programs
portfolio (“Gas Programs”)—$3,795,232, or 77% of total expenditures were paid directly to
customers.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that its 2020/2021 third-party process and impact
evaluations concluded the Company’s Idaho Gas Programs cost effectively saved 652,548 therms.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Gas Programs had an overfunded balance
of $78,073 on January 1, 2020. By December 31, 2021 the Company had an underfunded balance
of $2,067,047. This was primarily due to customer participation.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the 2020 UCT and TRC ratios for the
Company’s Gas Programs were 1.26 and 0.68, respectively. The 2021 UCT and TRC ratios for
the Company’s Gas Programs were 1.24 and 0.60, respectively.

1 This is exclusive of the 6,994 MWhs of Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance savings.
2 The underfunding was addressed by Order No. 33897 in Case No. AVU-E-17-06, which authorized increasing
schedule 91 rates on October 1, 2017.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 35523 3
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that in 2020, the Company saved 352,548 therms
of gas, 84% of the IRP target of 421,270 therms. In 2021, the Company saved 300,000 therms of
gas, 84% of the IRP target of 358,160 therms.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company’s Applications and Exhibits are
available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Commission’s office. The
Applications are also available on the Commission’s web site at www.puc.idaho.gov. Click on the
“ELECTRIC” or “GAS” tab, select “Open Cases” and then locate and click on the case number as
shown on the front of this document.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all proceedings in this case will be held
pursuant to the Commission’s jurisdiction under Title 61 of the Idaho Code. The Commission may
enter any final order consistent with its authority under Title 61.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all proceedings in this matter will be conducted
under the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.000, et seq.
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that persons desiring to intervene in this matter to
obtain parties’ rights of participation must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission
pursuant to this Commission’s Rules of Procedure 72 and 73, IDAPA 31.01.01.072 and .073.
Persons who wish to intervene as a party must file a Petition to Intervene within 21 days
from the service date of this Order. Persons desiring to present their views without parties’ rights
of participation are not required to intervene and may present their comments without prior
notification to the Commission or the parties.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that after the intervention deadline runs, the
Commission Secretary will issue a Notice of Parties. Staff then will informally confer with the
parties about scheduling for this case.
O R D E R
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that persons desiring to intervene for the purpose of
obtaining parties’ rights of participation must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission,
pursuant to Rules 72 and 73, IDAPA 31.01.01.72-73, within 21 days from the service date of this
Order.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that after the Commission Secretary issues a Notice of
Parties, Staff will informally confer with the parties about an appropriate schedule.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 35523 4
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that parties comply with Order No. 35375, issued April
21, 2022. Generally, all pleadings should be filed with the Commission electronically and will be
deemed timely filed when received by the Commission Secretary. See Rule 14.02. Service between
parties should continue to be accomplished electronically when possible. However, voluminous
discovery-related documents may be filed and served on CD-ROM or a USB flash drive.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this 8th day
of September 2022.

__________________________________________
ERIC ANDERSON, PRESIDENT

__________________________________________
JOHN CHATBURN, COMMISSIONER

__________________________________________
JOHN R. HAMMOND JR., COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

Jan Noriyuki
Commission Secretary

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