20180628reconsideration_order_no_34098.pdf

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
June 28,2018
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION )
OF IDAHO POWER COMPANY FOR )CASE NO.IPC-E-17-13
AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH NEW )
SCHEDULES FOR RESIDENTIAL AND )ORDER NO.34098
SMALL GENERAL SERVICE CUSTOMERS )
WITH ON-SITE GENERATION )
THE PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION
On May 9,2018,this Commission issued a final order on Idaho Power Company's
("Company"or "Idaho Power")request for authorityto establish new schedules for residential and
small general service ("R&SGS")customers with on-site generation.Order No.34046.In that
order,the Commission approved new Idaho Power Schedules 6 and 8 for R&SGS customers with
on-site generation.On May 29,2018,Vote Solar filed a Petition for Reconsiderationof Order No.
34046 (the "Petition"),and asked the Commission to "require the Company to revise the new
Schedules 6 and 8 to apply only to customers who export electricity."Petition)at 1.Vote Solar
believes no new evidence is necessary for the Commission to make this decision.Id.No other
petitions for reconsideration were received.
STAFF'S RESPONSE
On June 5,2018,Commission Staff filed a response generally concurring with Vote
Solar.Staff "maintains that those customers who are incapable of exporting energy to the grid
should be exempt from inclusion in Schedules 6 and 8."Staff Response to Vote Solar's Petition
for Reconsiderationat 2.Staff recommended that the Commission require the Company to revise
Schedules 6 and 8 so they apply only to customers with on-site generation who do not use a grid
tie limiter,grid inverter with export control,or a similar device to eliminate their ability to export
power to the Company's grid.Id.
IDAHO POWER'S ANSWER
On June 5,2018,Idaho Power filed an Answer opposing Vote Solar's Petition.Idaho
Power noted "(1)the load service requirements for on-site generationsystems connected in parallel
with Idaho Power's system are different than customers without on-site generation,and (2)Vote
Solar's recommendationwould be unenforceable given that Idaho Power does not measure excess
ORDER NO.34098 1
generation separately from consumption"when it net meters.Idaho Power Company's Answer to
Vote Solar's Petition for Reconsiderationat 2.Idaho Power thus argued that a customer should
be in new Schedules 6 and 8 if the customer can export energy to the grid because the customer is
connected in parallel to the Company's system.The Company further contended that it could not
rely on customer configurable devices-such as a dynamically controlled inverter,a grid tie
limiter,or a grid inverter with export control-to prevent energy export because the customer
could reconfigure the devices to allow the customer to export.Id.at 4.
Having reviewed the record,we issue this order granting reconsideration on the one
issue raised in the Petition.Our decision is further explained below.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
A person may petition the Commission to reconsider its orders.See Idaho Code §
61-626;Rules 331-333 (IDAPA 31.01.01.331-.333).Reconsideration allows the petitioner to
bring to the Commission's attention any question previously determined and thereby affords the
Commission an opportunity to rectify any mistake or omission.Washington Water Power Co.v.
Kootenai Environmental Alliance,99 Idaho 875,879,591 P.2d 122,126 (1979);Rule 325.The
petitioner has 21 days from the date of the final order in which to ask for reconsideration.Idaho
Code §61-626(1).The Commission may grant reconsideration by reviewing the existing record
by written briefs,or by evidentiary hearing.See IDAPA 31.01.01.331.03 and .332.
DISCUSSION AND FINDINGS
The Commission issued final Order No.34046 on May 9,2018.Within 21 days,on
May 29,2018,Vote Solar filed its Petition asking the Commission to reconsider parts of that order.
Idaho Power filed an Answer.Commission Staff also responded to the Petition.No one else filed
a Petition or Cross Petition raising additional issues.Thus,the Commission has only been asked
to reconsider the matter raised in Vote Solar's Petition,namely,whether the Commission should
require the Company to revise new Schedules 6 and 8 so they apply only to customers who export
electricity.As no other matters were the subject of a reconsideration petition,we limit our
reconsiderationto the narrow issue raised in Vote Solar's Petition.
We now order Vote Solar,Idaho Power,Commission Staff,and any other party who
desires to do so,to file,by August 10,2018,briefing related to whether a customer's ability to
export energy should determine if the customer should be included in new Schedules 6 and 8.
Responsive briefings must be filed no later than August 24,2018.We are particularlyinterested
ORDER NO.34098 2
in information about export limitingdevices,effects of battery storage,additional information on
the meaning and repercussions of "in parallel"connection,and the masking of usage created by
hourly analysis of customer and Company energy exchanges.After the briefing deadline expires,
the Commission will consider the filings and render its final order on reconsideration.
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Vote Solar's Petition for Reconsideration is granted,
as more fully described herein.Vote Solar,Commission Staff,Idaho Power,and any other party
who desires to do so,shall file briefs by August 10,2018 discussing whether a customer's ability
to export energy should determine if the customer should be included in new Schedules 6 and 8.
Any responsive briefs shall be filed no later than August 24,2018.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise,Idaho this
day of June 2018.
PAIÏL KJELL'AÑÒÈR,PRESIDENT
'K'RifINE RAPER,CO MISS ONER
ERIC ANDERSON,COMMISSIONER
ATTEST:
Diane M.Hanian
Commission Secretary
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