20090825notice_of_application.pdf

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
August 25, 2009
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION
OF IDAHO POWER COMPANY FOR
APPROVAL OF A FIRM ENERGY SALES
AGREEMENT FOR THE SALE AND
PURCHASE OF ELECTRIC ENERGY
BETWEEN IDAHO POWER COMPANY,
CASSIA GULCH WIND PARK LLC AND
TUANA SPRINGS ENERGY LLC
CASE NO. IPC-O9-
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF
MODIFIED PROCEDURE
NOTICE OF
COMMENT/PROTEST DEADLINE
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that on August 11 , 2009, Idaho Power Company
(Idaho Power; Company) filed an Application with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission
(Commission) requesting approval of a 20-year Firm Energy Sales Agreement between Idaho
Power and Cassia Gulch Wind Park LLC (Cassia Gulch) and Tuana Springs Energy LLC (Tuana
Springs) dated August 5, 2009 (Agreement).
AGREEMENT
Cassia Gulch currently owns, maintains and operates an existing 18.9 MW wind
generating facility located near Hagerman, Idaho approximately 4.3 miles west ofldaho Power
lower Malad substation. Reference Case No. IPC-06-, Order No. 30087.
Tuana Springs proposes to design, construct, own, operate and maintain a new 16.
MW wind generating facility adjacent to and as an expansion of the Cassia Gulch facility. It is
the contract parties' intent that the Cassia Gulch agreement remain in full force and effect until
such time as the expansion facilities (Tuana Springs Expansion) have achieved their operation
date of June 30, 2010. At such time the Cassia Gulch agreement shall automatically terminate
and shall be replaced by this new Agreement. The net energy from the Cassia Gulch and Tuana
Springs Expansion will be combined into a single qualifying facility (QF) with a nameplate
rating of35.7 MW.
The purchase price contained in the Agreement was established by running the
Aurora economic dispatch model consistent with the Commission s requirements for projects
larger than 10 MW. The purchase price established by running the Aurora economic dispatch
model was then blended with the prices contained within the existing Cassia Gulch Wind Farm
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF MODIFIED PROCEDURE
NOTICE OF COMMENT/PROTEST DEAD LING
Agreement in order to preserve the value of the existing Cassia Gulch Wind Farm agreement for
the Idaho Power ratepayers.
Idaho Power requests that the Commission issue an Order approving the Firm Energy
Sales Agreement with Cassia Gulch and Tuana Springs without change or condition and
declaring that all payments for purchases of energy under the Firm Energy Sales Agreement be
allowed as prudently incurred expenses for ratemaking purposes. Agreement ~ 21.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission has reviewed the filings of
record in Case No. IPC-09-24. The Commission has preliminarily found that the public
interest in this matter may not require a hearing to consider the issues presented and that issues
raised by the Company s filing may be processed under Modified Procedure , by written
submission rather than by hearing. Reference Commission Rules of Procedure, IDAP
31.01.01.201-204.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the deadline for filing written comments or
protests with respect to Idaho Power s Application and the use of Modified Procedure in Case
No. IPC-09-24 is Wednesday, September. 23, 2009.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that if no written comments or protests are
received within the deadline, the Commission may consider the matter on its merits and may
enter its Order without a formal hearing. If comments or protests are filed within the deadline
the Commission will consider them and in its discretion may set the matter for hearing or may
decide the matter and issue its Order based on the written positions before it. Reference IDAP
31.01.01.204.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that written comments concerning Case No. IPC-
09-24 should be mailed to the Commission and the Company at the addresses reflected below.
Commission Secretary Donovan E. Walker
Idaho Public Utilities Commission Barton L. KlinePO Box 83720 Idaho Power Company
Boise ID 83720-0074 PO Box 70
Boise ID 83707-0070
E-mail: dwalker~idahopower.com
bkline~idahopower.com
Street Address for Express Mail:
472 W. Washington Street
Boise ID 83702-5918
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF MODIFIED PROCEDURE
NOTICE OF COMMENT/PROTEST DEAD LING
Randy C. Allphin
Contract Administrator
Idaho Power Company
PO Box 70
Boise, ID 83707-0070
E-mail: rallphin~idahopower.com
Street Address for Express Mail:
1221 W. Idaho Street
Boise, ID 83702
All comments should contain the case caption and case number shown on the first page of this
document.Persons desiring to submit comments via e-mail may do so by accessing the
Commission s home page located at www.puc.idaho.gov. Click the "Comments and Questions
icon and complete the comment form using the case number as it appears on the front of this
document. These comments must also be sent to Idaho Power at the e-mail addresses listed
above.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that if no written comments or protests are
received within the time limit set, the Commission will consider this matter on its merits and
enter its Order without a formal hearing. If written comments are received within the time limit
set, the Commission will consider them and, in its discretion, may set the same for formal
hearing.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Application in Case No. IPC-09-
may be viewed at www.puc.idaho.gov by clicking on "File Room" and "Electric Cases " or can
be viewed during regular business hours at the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, 472 West
Washington Street, Boise, Idaho and at the general business office of Idaho Power Company,
1221 West Idaho Street, Boise, Idaho.
DATED at Boise, Idaho this d..)f-'I.day of August 2009.
~fJ
71" . Jewell
Commission Secretary
bls/N :IPC-O9-24 sw
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF MODIFIED PROCEDURE
NOTICE OF COMMENT/PROTEST DEAD LING