20100108Avista Response to NIPPC Motion.pdf

Avist Corporaion
1411 East Mission P.O. Box 3727
Spokane, Washington 99220.3727
Telephone [phone]
Toll Free 800.727.9170
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Via Email and Overnight Mail
Jean Jewell, Secretary
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
472 W. Washington Street
Boise, ID 83720-0074
Email: íean.jewellcmpuc.idaho.go~
Re: IPUC Case No. GNR-E-08-03
Dear Ms. Jewell:
On November 26, 2008, the Northwest and Intermountain Power Producers Coalition
("NIPPC") filed a petition with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission ("Commission")
requesting that the Commission open a generic investigation into the desirability of initiating
competitive bidding guidelines for the procurement of supply-side resources by the electric
utilities under the Commission's authority. i As a result, the Commission opened the above-
referenced generic proceeding. As a utility that is under the Commission's authority, Avista
Corporation ("A vista") has been monitoring this proceeding.
On December 22,2009, NIPPC filed a motion ("Motion") requesting that the
Commission issue a procedural schedule in the above-referenced proceeding. NIPPC further
requested that the Commission narrow the scope of the proceeding to "eliminate its generic
status and limit the issues to be explored to only Idaho Power." NIPPC Motion at 3. In its
Motion, NIPPC noted that the other two relevant electric utilities, including A vista, already
comply with competitive procurement rules in the other states in which they operate and that
there is no need to subject those utilities to duplicative rules. Jd. A vista does not object to
NIPPC's Motion and agrees that the above-referenced proceeding should be narrowed to apply
only to Idaho Power.
A vista further agrees with NIPPC that it is not necessary for Idaho to develop competitive
procurement rules for utilities that already comply with competitive procurement rules in other
states. Avista is subject to the State of Washington's competitive procurement rules, which are
codified in the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission's ("WUTC") rules at WAC
1 The Industrial Customers ofIdaho Power, the lR. Simplot Company, and the Idaho Irrigation
Customers Association, Inc. joined in NIPPC's petition.
Jean Jewell, Secretary
January 7, 2010
Page - 2
480-107-001, et seq.
2 Avista complies with the WUTC's competitive procurement rules with
regard to all resource acquisitions that are subject to those rules.
As stated above, Avista does not object to NIPPC's request to narrow the above-
captioned proceeding to apply only to Idaho Power. To the extent the Commission grants
NIPPC's request to narrow the proceeding only to Idaho Power, Avista respectfully requests that
the Commission expressly state in its order that any rules developed or promulgated in the
proceeding will apply only to Idaho Power and will not apply to any other utility that is subject
to and complies with the competitive procurement rules of another state.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have
any questions.
Sincerely,
-x'
Michael G. Andrea
Senior Counsel
cc: Scott Woodbury
Rick Sterling
Randy Lobb
Kelly Norwood
David Meyer
Linda Gervais
Clint Kalich
Bart Kline
Stacey Kusters
Peter Richardson
2 The relevant WUTC rules can be accessed at the following link:
http://apps.leg. wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=480-1 07