20100226Comment.pdf

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GARYD. HIs REC'Ef\lED
93 Kirk Drve
Boise, ID 83716
208/336-9443
ioin FEB 24 PM 2: f 0
Febru 22, 2010
Public Utilities Commssion
472 W. Washigton
Boise, il 83702
Dear Commissioners:
I am wrtig you because of the ever-rising Idao Power electrcal costs. It is not so
much the cost of the power, but the maner in which they apply it. I am a rual user and have
only electrical power available. When I built my house in 1985, Idao Power promoted "all
electrc" homes and I chose not to use propane for heat. I am not alone here. Now with the new
tiered rate strcture, I am being treated as an energy abuser. Over the year I have added
insulation, replaced doors and widows, added sun shades and reduced the inside temperatue,
but my costs just keep on rising. If you are all electrc with the tiere ras, you are screwed!
I am all for energy conseration, but not when the electrca rates are arbitrary set to
~complish it. Let's face it, if you are a rual user, you pay a premum for energy conservation.
If you are an urbante, you have other choices.
In closing, if these tiered rates must sty and there is merit in using them then either give
rual users a "Rural Adjustment/iscount" or revise them to be "REASONABLE" - say 0-1500
kWh, 1500-3000 kWh and over 3000 kWh. That is fai and stil accomplishes the goal of
. placing cost containment limts.
I have attched a copy of 2 previous bils; one prior to and one afer the tier rate
additions. Also attched are newspaper arcles noting the impacts on "rual" users.
Than you in advance for your understandig and action on ths mattr.
Sincerely,
..
Enclosures
~IDA~pO"Questions? Contact us at:
PO BOX 70, Boise, 1083707.
Or call (208) 382323 (Treasure Valley).
Se habla español.
For faster sece please call
Tuesday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
An IDACORP Company
ww.idahopower.com
Service Agreement No: 7804002903
Service Location' 93 KIRK DRIOISE ID
Page 2 of 2
Customer Name:
Account Number:
Billng Date:
Print Date:
GARY HIMES
5419486655
1
1211612008 l:ECEl\/1~O
JlìJF'B.. ?4PM 2: i 0
èií Date: 0,J13/2009
; "''' f. 5 f .~'"~ ~. ~ ¡ :-',' ~
,~lj¡J'tHtj, tt)L)t-j~j . ~ _
1'-1' rr.:;r .'. p,¡",., '''.. " "",
MeIer Service Penod Number Reading Meter Readings) i . L. l ì_:JMe if.1; '-' ,-' i ''' 1&
Number From To of Days Typ Previou Currnt Const Use
00111278014 11/12/08 T 12/12/08 30 Regular 936 I 96 1 2776
Residential
Rate Schedule
101
1111212008 -12112/2008.30 days
~~:~~~~~~n~~~ 'ëh'~'~~ .~. $ö'å'57ji~~~'kwh'" ~~~: ~~~~~.~ ..~. ~~~ ~~ ~
PeA qj $0.07864 per kWh ............... .u::..........~i.Wlt?..............
Energy Effciency Services ...................................................................
Federal Columbia River Benefits Supplied by BPA .........................,.......
Current Charges - Electric service
Budget Pay
$4.00
$160.41
$21.83
$2.84
$0.00_
$189.08-
$150.00
'CR = Credit kWh = Kilowa-hour PCA= Power Cost Adjustment kW = Kilow BlC = Basic Load Capait G '" Geration
Your Electic
Use Pattem
.):,'/_,;'J: ---::~8
. gi£c(
1n.3
Quesions? Contact us at:
PO BOX 70, Boise, 1083707.
Or call [phone] (Treasure Valley).
Se habla español.
For faster serv please call
Tuesday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
An IDACORP Company
ww.idahopower.com
Service Agreement No: 7804002903
Service Location: 93 KIRK DR/BOISE ID
Page 2 of 2
Customer Name:
Account Number:
Biling Date:
Print Date:
GARY HIMES
5419486655
03/17
03/1712009
Next Read Date: 04/1412009
,
Meter Service Period Number Reading Meter Readings Meer kWh
Number From To of Days Typ Previous Currnt Constnt Use
002111278014 02/11109 I 03/13/09 30 Regular 6121 I 9256 1 3135
Residential
Rate Schedule
101
$4.00
$44.63
$74.39
$80.91
___ _~4.ß5,_
$3.67
Current Charges - Electric Service
Budget Pay
Idaho....Stateis.,
BES OF THE STATESMAN THISWEEK
..' ""ONDA~JANUARY2Sr2~JO. . ...,,;. .75êENTS
, ì
A heliof a good time
You don't have to be a millionaire to
get a lift to backcountry skiìng spots
THUllDAYIN IDAHO OUTDQORS
Äcastle orahòme?
. New house Oh Warrn Spri'ngs looks
like a castleand.iscausing a stir.
S~NI,AYIN LìFE
~..
. ~
Wi
Idaho'Powerêò.in forefront
': '.:, " ! ' ....,,:: J : ...., ,. ..'r:. '..__ , _,', .. '_'."
ofelIetgy,~onsel'aaoneffort
It used to push more
consurption. Now I.t
pays some customers'
to tur off the swtch
!
BYKATE GARArr
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE. Four decades ag, whei:Sid Erbega hi caeer as an inector' at
Idao Power Co, a str of new by"
'dreleetc .Plats was Pimping .Ø,ut
power fater th IOcasc9wd buy, it.' '.Söon ~nóuglEJ r~¡ the ¡ity ......
be sendigreprèsentátive torual,... areas, iJgÎg famers to usemor~
electrcitywhen irigati their crops.
These das, Idao's fam~are pe-
ÏIpaidtostop usingpower, .' ::
. Sittat a clutterèd lttchen table!n
his Brueau home, Erwim-noW' a
farer hiel - waved a bil show-
ing tht last July hê recved.a credit of .
more than $700 frm Idao Power for
tu offhi power-g ptips
on some sumer afernoons. . . ,
"It's a total tibout," says Erw
. "I'm.a1ost 70 y~ars old. and th ha .b~enalielongeducationtome.", . .
As savig energybecomesa ray-
ing cr for utilties and tie gO"erc
ment, Idao Power is in the Vad,.. . .
Since 2004, it ha be~n payig faners'
lie Erwin to Cltpower useatcrCial.
ties, r~sulting.in. drop-offs .of as
much as 5.6 perc~nt of peak power de-mad. .. ,..., :, .' . ~UL HOSESj the New York Times
In a relted prögranit pays homec'Farmers like Sid Erwin of Bru~eau,,shown here earlier this rn6n1h, takearis~ by'. . .... ',.
..own~~ to twlltieif ai c()i:Øition~.~wat~rilw les; W~~itP(li."'rd!1mijrims,higl;~t;l;!lt~htY Iike,th~ u~si~E7;jl ~batefrómdo
~rs bnefly attnn~s of high d~n;d. Idaho POwer ço.t .' :.,., ... '. .i, Other effcienêy intitives by the .. . . ..ì .. .
utitY iic1udi'orte promoti attc' of the highest percentae ches of. ly str gin thtth~push foreiier-ination, have Saved about 500,000 ths kid in thecöuntr .. . gy effCiency is generaly assocted
. megWatt-hour 9f pow~r siice 2002, "It's clearlyic,onicii tem ofa uti . with coastal state~ lie Calorn and'.
accordig to the company - rougWy tht's tued the corner" sa TomEc"'. Maaclus~tts, not with astte whose
equal to the amount used' by 5,000 !n the iI of CODsertion re . electc rates arè among the lowest in
gadget-filed homes over eight years. soures with the Nortes Power and the countr .To pay for these and other energy- Consertion :Counc:, ,à '. pla
savi measures, Idaho customers - grup crated bYCongres..'~eyhay~
indidua and companes - are gonefrmpr~muchgr¡.dze.tocharged a 4.75perc:~nt "energ eff- afaily agiy progr ¡evel." . .; IDAHO POWE ISREDCING ITS
Ciency" rider on thei electc bil, one The companY's effort ate esPecal~REIANcE ON COAL. M '. i!' ..' " .
. See IDAHO PO ER, A5.
,-.J:",..,:c~-~.L,j',.:.-_',:,,: ,,':;.; ~ ~!'_:l;': ,: ,~ . ::
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IDAHO'~WER
CONTINUED FROM A1
But the concept has rug
tre for Idaho's faer, an-
glers and snowbirds - out-
door tyes who have helped
keep the state nealy free of
coal plats. They have been
lagely receptive to the uti-
tys arerits that it is
cheaper to save energy thai
to buid new power plats.
"Every tie they would
build a plat, it would raise
our i:tes,".says Ter Ketter-lig, a faer in Mounta
Home, who grows suga
beets, com, wheat and al
and who, lie Er parici-
pates in the irgation pay-
ment prograi
Energ exerts. say Idao
Power's effort can be'repli-
cated by other power com-
panèS across the countr
Steve Nadel, executive di-
rector of, the American
Counci for an Ener-Ef-
cientEconomy, an advocacy
group, estiates that abouthal of utities now ru pro-
gr tht pay cuomers to
cut use durg peak periods.
And companes lie Ener~
noc, based in Boston, help
utities by outfttg stores
and other businesses with
devices to. tu off lights or
reduce power in other wa
dur a power sqeeze.
But most utities spend a
much lower proportion of
their revenue. on savig en-
ergy th Idao Power, saysRaph Cavaagh a senior
lawyer at the Natu Re-
soures Defene Counci an
envonienta grup. '
Laoiit Keen" the chef
executive of Idao POwer,
ackowledgs that thë com-
pany, with its lare cohort of
farer ha a dierent cu~
tomer base th most other
power companes. Sti, he
argues tht the success ofhi
progam shows tht evenutities with lare indus'
loads ca adapt
"With the r¡.t incentives, ..people can and wi mod
thei behor in ways tht
are benefci," he says.The utity 3k0, ha its
shè of crtics: Big business-
es someties wice at pay-
ing the efciency charge.
And some say the lltity
ha drged it, feet when it
comes to renewable energy
- other th that generated
by huge dam. Some detrO'
tors refer. to Idaho as' the
"hole in the doughllt'. on
wid power -, because most
of its neigbors,liè Oregn, .
Washigton and Wyomig,have buit fa, more widfa.
"Very litte hàs been de-
veloped in IdaM in the past
six or seven years, whereas
al the states arund us have
blossomed," says Ki Tid-
well, a self-described "Re-
publica soccer mom" near
Haey. Tidwel helped push
though a shaeholders' res-
olution to ure Idaho Power
to plan for a low-carbon fu-
tue. To the surrie of even
Tidwell it passed lat May,
with 52 perceIit of thè votes.
Keen notes that hydro is a
clean resoùrce and says
Idaho Power :- a subsidiar
of the publicly lited Idacorp
tht serves pars of Oregon
as well as mos ofIdaho": isworkig to rap up wid
. producton and! reduce the
carbon intensity ofitsopera-
tions.
Faced with a fast-growi
population, Idaho Power ha
been unble to :avoid buid.
'in new powerlplantsalt().. gether; . a new! natual .ga
plat is in the works. .
But executives. are press-
in. ahead wi$ efciency.meaures. The utilty is as-
in reguators to make per-maent a pilot progr
staed in 2007 tht alows
Idaho'Power to tae rates to
. mae up for sel less pOw-
er.. ..
But the aggesive puruit
of effciency ha prompted
concer in some quar.
Ra Stak, ¡senior Vice
president of tht) Bois Metro
Chaer of Commerce, says
tht not long ago a few cOm-
panes, includig a chencal .
producer, tht had been con-
siderinK operations in, thestte were told, by Idao
Power tht there was in"
, cientcapaçity to ai:cónio-
date thej pÓwci needS:
"Tht concern. us a grt
deal because we wat to .bé
competitive · for economic
\ievelopìnent projects," saidStak, addig tht, he su~-
portth~ efciency push.
Ric Gale,Idao Powets
vice predèn.t for regatory .
afài, . said tht capacity I
tonthstdn' ~ werei.elafèd ....to . eve to saener
and th utilties can'tal~YS'Îquicky accoinodate a big: .
new cUtomer..
" The, riii effcienc
chges have alo raied cor-
porate eyebrows
Don Stuevt, the ener"
gy maer for the J.R. Sim-plot Cò~ said he cred
when" IdagPo.er ra
. ,thë .clare lat June to 4.75
percent froni.z.5~ percent,
though he said the company
benefited from the progr. If the. utity rase the
che ag Stuevat sad, .."its goin to bè a clenge."
PAUL HOSRO/ The New York Ti~es
Ric Gale of Idaho Power in Boise said ea~lier this ~nth that ¡¡ft
ter an energ crisis, "everyhing turned a full 180., Instead of , ¡
urging customers to use more el~ricít¡ the u1i1~ ,em9race~1
more conservtion measures. . i ~
,
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Ra~~~fl~~~~l:~~~~1!Witli;.
D.eee.iibêr~11re()i~êt it
By Joan'PelleYi ... ..... ..... ~es~~aid; ."Weale"br;,'ò~C':~ridfd~ri#lJriäh~~~ri~hf ....' .
re~~~~~~~~ -T~~:;~' tisti.? ab?ut a signcart'IJl'pgtáis;ThtpuglildkJq'
sturinedbyhis DeceInber' yr~:ctiEovn i~ J, the PFA th1is'. :':fiPower'~ energ).~lfì9i~Í1t)et? ... . .. '. ery! une,peop eöj;s:ingp9,8¡~edtêd.tiCedehi.'
. power bil.!TUck, 8Ei, lives. can.co.unt. on the ePCAr'at.e' ....... ... ... ...........iT'.' hl ,. . . .. .. ... .. ... ,....,. . . '." , erg) usage'by,an estimated¡ iiia roug Y:45.. O-square-foot ... .'. gom. g up ...0. r. d.. own "'.An. '.ual. ....' 1 "0 000 ' 'h
' bil h . .. ." . .. ...,.' ... ,.,.: .. .., ,. ,. ,megawatt ours
¡ :ke p. c.9inS;i ..tY bilJr()~¡'Ç.haiil!e;§tar,e:2~eOect~i; ií1):è~.iUgh:t~b&rgy'tOi
i ...0 o,wer m November, j.Julypils.In:2008, the I;'CA: ':i1;()00 qgiies'" ,; ';i: ,f'was $81. For December.,it.."l'ate was':~78 ..èentsp...e. rk."rl.'.'....)','.'..:;...'..'...t..:....rl....'.-.;.....'....B.... ,.. .,". .;::
.$lQ31;'TU .,. .. ... . ...., ., .vn1. .,.....£orao umon aseRate..'was . ... ck fumed. '.- abouthalLof the109:r¡:te, :'/tnçrèas~s,,,.:,,;;: '. .... :', .!.
're World W,ar II veteran,::In'200Q~ePCA sl;chaige",('A22'im:Óntî.mot~töriti;"said.. he actuii.. y.only ht:a.. ts. ".went d.own... an.. a.v. e. I'.å,.g.é. '0£'16. '. on.. .'.1. dah...o....Po.. "'.. . '.'.b'. '.'.....t ....two thd . f h' h .,., ... ,.". .... ."... . ..... ... ..er,s asicra e. -. .. ,s..~. IS .ome.;Hepercent froII ,tle i;irevii:n.ts '.ìiiçte¡ases is''pard(i~tttlê~
uses electcity for, ba. seboar. d y. ear... Fadi.ess. s.. ai. d. ..: . '. '. ... ... .....t .,.......'..... .. ...... .... . ., ". '. ,.d. '.. .. ,.., ...'
h ... ... ..'.. ..... '. .. ... ir~ .agreemenh reachedeat,. ~as -a small kitchen; . LOb,b said dth~t the cqm~.~aríiei:.tJliiIIQp:th.by"tlie.
t.elev;lslOn,. comp.uter and ~any.s p0l"ercqst: projec.',.: cgíipW:)l,iluti1:ës::êqrnlns-'li~tig~ Peoi;le like Tprck.. ti?~S havti b~en es-pecialy .'. Sioiiiud. represeiitâtlvésQf
with,al.electrc homes were difficult during .ne.àrl." '10.. v .. . ....,.... ,.... .. "'.". .ar ii 1. h ,. . . ... .. .. . '. ....., ... . J" . . .ariOUSJ.lser groups. Thep. cary ar~ hit by pe- years ,of cl0ught condÌtions rnoratòrhim was.ainountêá'
. cember pow7rbills.. and Idaho'Pow:er's reliance;. Jan. 14. ' ...... . -Helen Bevigton lives in a on spring snowpack for its ..That's cold comfort to Bev~.
1,600 square-foot home. She hydroelectric production'i ington. "Theý-arenottalg
calculated her power costs Snowpack measurements .aharderiol.gh look at thep~,rday. . .are taken iii late M¡u~threcession;'," ... ,.. .
, In December 2008 I pai~ though nidcApriL.. In ,May: 2.oÒ9, the state's
$6.5.?~ d¡iy. ,Last m?nth, it .. Lobbai~, Fadnessa.gree' uneniPl(¡yr~tratejims7 R
dow-s, aforcedJ aitUinace ths year,. . i. .'. BýÓe~iIi;ei,the'rate,geW
and water heater installed in Tiered nites:InFebruart()9:1perceiit,¡icçordig to
September," Bevington said. 2009,. Idah.o Povrer intiated, preliminarstàtisticiffrq11
She had expected the' êon- tiered rates tor.residei:tial . the BLS. .
. servation IÍeasÌles tó make. customers. They are d,e" . Last year', when Idap.o
areal dierence in her power signed toencouràgecoiiser- Power inititecì ti~ proà~ss qf'
. bils, even with colder-than- vation. Lobb said that recéiitapj;lyig fqra rate fucrea.se,
normal temperatues. low temperaturescàuseci.. iU.:ould have resulted in an
Rady Lobb; diector of the peopletö reallj¡ notice the increaseofl ° to 20 perclit,
utities division of the Idaho rate strcture. In Iion-sum'~ stated a PUC news release.Public Utiities Commissioïi,mer~oni:s:. . ....... ¡ Those'nuíibets própably
said three. thgs converged '"Lowest tier, the first: $00 aren't pfftie table --they just
to cause such high bils. kilowatt hours used,. cost wonltqe taken-up UItisoÌne-:.'. .
"We had the coldest tem- ' about 5.7 cents per kW:h1.: tje in2ÖU à~the cohipá:y d
perat-qresin 'a decade in *Miiidletier- 801 to 2,QOO:; andPUC prepare for theend
early December. The PCA is kWh ~ 6.3 tents per kWh,. ... of theinor~torium ():nvi:' i,.
the highest it's ever bee.n. ... *Top tier-more than 2,()00; 2012, Hü¡oricaly, the'PUC:;:
Andthereare tiered rates.",:kWl,- nearlY 7:3 cents per' authorizesi; substantiaiyTeinperatUJ'es: For the; kWh.. .; . ..... smaler itcrease thllll,vha:t i~
Boise area, a 17 -day cold Dut.ng peak demand; in requested by the company.;spell that began .Nov. :28 summeiJJune, July and 4\uc Ipthe 2008 report W.,stocki
included consecutive daiy gust), rates are higher. 1 holders, IPACORP,stated, .lows of 28; 25, 27, 24, '21, Bevington òbjectsto i:a,tes.We have improvedoûrfì+
'18, 18; 18,20, 0, ~6, ,-4, 0, t,:, in'tlie top tíeL"Anythlng iiançial, Performanc,e a,iid
16, 20,. 19, accordig to the over 2,000 - as far as I'm exerieiiced one of thestrò;n,.
National Weather Service: ',concernedit'safine.".: gestthdqùarersiìi.cginT
A cold spell is defined as Fadne~s . said the PUC is paÎy hist~Iy.;, .d; d .' i
an unbl'oken series of daiy conducting a study of the The Idaho Power ::service
minimuì temperatures that impacts of tiered rates.' .. area covers abòût¡24,00Q .are lower than norial tem- EES - Energy Effciençy~squae miles in Southwest
peratures with at least one Servces: Also. includeci in idabo andE~stei:9teg~ii,
temperatue below 0 F. ' monthly bils are diect costs , with about 487,000' resiL
PCA: "Power cost:, adjust-. '. of Idahó. Power's conserva- .! dentiai and commerCiai cï.ìs.~
ment." This is a charge.tht" tion programs: Lobb said the to~ets) Inthe200s,freP0rt,
customers pay when the. charges reflect "lost revenues lDACO~P listep. .. ialhydr(;:'"
company's cost of producing. . from conservation." electrkprojectslthat acc()l.t
pOwer is higher than what "We have 'conclusive evi-for a capaCityofabp:uttl7i.
'was projected. The curnmt . dence thátreducigfiemand:: millon'1r'W';lnowpersl1i~;
PCA rate 'is about 1.4 tents benefits customers in the or part ow:nerehip, of stiper kiowatt hour. The cur- iòng run because it keeps fossil~fueledplantsdi:pablè, ....
rent pcA ratè wi remai in the company fromliavig to ofproi:uping-abó:ùt'1::.S9 n¡c
efe~t unti June of ths yeàr, buy more exensi'Ve1 power,"Uon kW: ...).. .. ... ...
when a newPCA takes èffect. F.adness said. '.' ' ,A nevv330-mègawatt. gasc
Projections and actual costs In its 2008 annual report, fired faCilty bei;g)itit J;n
!le "tred up" between Apri IDACORP (Idaholowèr's Pàyette. Qouity.is etecteci
and Juie of each year, said parent company) ;stated, to comè ,on me in 20 12:,Thè
'Lobb, . "Idaho Power ètirently'of- "Langlèy,Qulcìi" :PlanvWill
PUC spokesman Gene Fad- fers 15 ener~ efficiei:cy 'coÌinued 9Wprl
'~:~~' - -,
. ..
.'.
)~~,s¡~~ntsJ:Up~
LargePo~er aill;'- -- - ,- ~;- - - " - - ,'. - - - - "- ,. ---,~ ," - - - - - ::-~-;- :,: -- -- - " - ,: : ,'.,. -- .'..:.., ,'-" .- - - -, : '- --
. . "-'-
continued ftòmpage L.. . ~
supply Eower tOe the Hóku. .Materials. manufacturer. in. can do so
Pocatello. Signifcant new, on tlè:EU
transmission projects. are càlgGè'
. álsá il 1he~ori~s.: .. '. _ 0339/'
..- .To be linkedwiìhutiltýt
.~- ass.istànce~and::"conse-rVà.:-: i
. tion progràis~ cal the rdàbò' _.
,. .. Public Utilitiesc COÌDmissiou' .
.. at. 334-0300,Web~site:puè. .'
idãIio. gov;::Toiñàke - bili ~
-.pa:yingan:angements, cà.l _
~ Idaho'Power.-at '388-2323~_.
- ~. idàhóp'ò~er;çQin. .Ci;stÖI~S. . .
~ ,.
\ ~.