HomeMy WebLinkAbout20180323Petition for Intervenor Funding.pdfRECEIVED
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Preston N. Carter (ISB No. 8462)
Deborah E. Nelson (lSB No. 57ll)
Givens Pursley LLP
601 W. Bannock St.
Boise, lD 83702
Telephone: (208) 388-1200
Facsimile: (208) 388- I 300
prestoncarter@ givenspursley. com
den@ givenspursley. com
14101486 2.docx |1523-2)
Attorneys for Idaho Clean Energlt Association, Inc.
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF IDAHO POWER
COMPANY' S APPLICATION FOR
AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH NEW
SCHEDULES FOR RESIDENTIAL AND
SMALL GENERAL SERVICE
CUSTOMERS WITH ON-SITE
GENERATION
Case No. IPC-E-17-13
Io.quo Cr,B.lN ENnncy AssocrlrroN,
INc.'s Rrqunsr FoR INTERVENoR
FuNuNc
Idaho Clean Energy Association, Inc.("ICEA"), by and through its attorneys of record,
Givens Pursley LLP, and pursuant to Idaho Code $61 617A and IDAPA 31.01.01.161 - 165,
respectfully applies to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission ("Commission") for intervenor
funding. This application is timely, as it is made within fourteen days of the date of the last
evidentiary hearing in this matter, which was March 9,2018.
REQUEST FOR INTERVENOR FUNDING
l. List of Expenses. As required by Commission Rule 162.01, attached is an
itemized list of expenses ICEA requests to recover, broken down into categories.
2. Statement of Proposed Findings. The recommendations that ICEA has
proposed for the Commission to adopt are as follows:
IDAHo CLEAN ENERGY ASSoCIATION,S REQUEST FOR INTERVENOR FUNDING - 1 ORIGINAL
o Reject the Company's proposal for a separate rate class and process the
requested changes to Schedule 12 in a separate docket;
o Require that any further proceedings for changes to net metering be processed
in accord with the following recommendations:
i. Demonstrated Problem. Evidence of a material problem should be
demonstrated before proposing changes to net metering rate design.
ii. Non-discriminatory. Customers should be free to benefit from reduced
consumption without discrimination.
iii. No cart-before-horse. Analysis giving fair weight to both costs and
benefits should precede any changes to rate structure.
iv. Referee. We ask for the regulatory version of a referee to govern the
process, which should include representation from stakeholders.
v. No Surge & Slump. Any docket proposing changes to net metering rates
should not propose an effective date until after the potential approval of
the filing. If a cut-off deadline is implemented, it should be based on the
date a net metering application is postmarked. A net metering application
deadline is commonly used to help decrease the surge and slump and other
problems.
vi. Don't rush it. The process should allow time for thorough consideration
ofcosts and benefits, potential repercussions, and stakeholder
perspectives.
IDAHo CI-TAN ENERGY ASSOCIATION'S REQUEST FOR INTERVENOR FUNOINC - 2
vii. Orderly transition. Customers should be assured that for an extended
period of time they would be able to remain on rates current at the time
their net metering application is postmarked.
viii. SEIA principles. ICEA urges the Commission to consider and adopt the
Solar Energy Industries Association's ("SEIA") principles for the
evolution of net energy metering and rate design, attached as Exhibit 807.
o ICEA also provided the following recommendations in rebuttal testimony,
partly in light of Staff s recommendations:
ix. That the Commission deny the Company's proposal to establish two new
rate classes, which are unnecessary and unjustified.
x. That the Commission establish guidance that power consumed by the
customer at the time it is produced by the customer's own generation
should not be included in a cost shift calculation.
xi. That a separate docket determine a robust methodology for valuing excess
generation, that the analysis is performed by a neutral third party and
governed by an objective "referee", and that the methodology covers the
full range of benefits and avoided costs provided by distributed
generation.
xii. That any changes to net metering rate policy should not go into effect until
after the total nameplate capacity of net metering residential solar reaches
a benchmark level of 60MW.
xiii. That when the installed capacity of net metering residential solar reaches
the benchmark level, an appropriate value for distributed generation be
IDAHo CIeeN ENERGY ASSOCIATION,S REQUEST FOR INTERVENOR FuNoINC - 3
applied to excess generation on a monthly netted basis rather than an
hourly netted basis.
xiv. Regarding the method for compensating excess generation changes, that
changes should be phased in separately and with clear, long-term
visibility.
xv. That, if the Commission were to approve changes to the methodology of
compensating net metering customers for excess generation, the variables
affecting those changes be available and visible to customers for two years
before going into effect.
xvi. That net metering customers be allowed to participate in Time of Day
rates available for the company-supplied power they consume.
xvii. That proposed changes to ScheduleT2be denied and that such changes be
proposed in a separate docket only after the Company has evidence of a
material problem and after the Company reviews any issues and potential
solutions with ICEA and other relevant stakeholders.
3. Statement Showing Reasonableness of Costs. See the accompanying Affidavits
of Preston N. Carter and Kevin King.
4. Explanation of Cost Statement. See the Affidavit of Kevin King, which explains
why the costs described constitute a significant financial hardship for the intervenor.
5. Statement of Difference. ICEA presented the perspective of businesses involved
in the renewable energy industry, a perspective unavailable to Staff. ICEA also presented the
perspective of a financial analyst to demonstrate the impacts of the filing on evaluation of
investments in rooftop solar installations, another perspective unavailable to Staff. ICEA's
IDAHo CI-eeN ENERGY ASSOCIATION,S REQUEST TOR INTERVENOR FLWONIC - 4
testimony in these areas adds a new and important dimension to the case that would not have
been presented otherwise.
6. Statement of Recommendation.ICEA's advocacy addressed issues of concern
to present and future net metering customers and to businesses that provide service to net meter
customers. This is evidenced, in part, by the significant public comment and testimony submitted
by customers of, and by persons employed in, the renewable energy industry.
7. Statement Showing Class of Customers. Present and future net meter customers
affected by the proceeding are members of the residential and small commercial classes. ICEA
intervenor appeared on their behalf, as well as on behalf of members of the clean energy industry
more generally.
ICEA respectfully requests that this request be granted. ICEA has requested, for purposes
of intervenor funding, less than the total amount of expenses incurred to reflect the overall limits
on intervenor funding.
ICEA would like to emphasize the expense of participating in these proceedings,
particularly only 5 years after the2012-2013 proceeding. A single consultant of Idaho Power,
who filed only rebuttal testimony, had a budget of $100,000 and arate of $550/hour. This does
not include Idaho Power's legal expenses. ICEA cannot muster even close to this amount of
financial resources, yet must participate in these proceedings to advocate for its former and
current customers and its members.
In addition, the Company's choice to propose a new rate class now and a separate
proceeding for rate changes in the future places a financial burden on ICEA to fund
representation not only in this proceeding, but also for the second proceeding if the Commission
grants Idaho Power's request.
Ineuo CIEeN ENency ASSOCIATION,S REQUEST FOR INTERVENOR FUNDING - 5
ICEA respectfully requests that the Commission take these facts into account while
considering the requests for intervenor funding.
Dated: March 23,2018
GIVENS PURSLEY LLP
/<<
Preston N. Carter
Givens Pursley LLP
Attorneys for ldaho Clean Energy Association
IDAHo CI-eaN ENERGY ASSOCIATION,S REqUTST FOR INTERVENOR FTJNDING - 6
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I certify that on March 23, 2018, a true and correct copy of IoeHo CLEAN ENERGv
AssocnrroN's REeUEST FoR IurgRvpNoR FUNDING was served upon all parties of record in this
proceeding via the manner indicated below:
Commission Staff
Diane Hanian, Commission Secretary
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
472 W . Washington Street
Boise, ID 83702
D iane. ho I t (@puc. i daho.gov
Hand Delivery & Electronic Mail
(Original andT copies provided)
Sean Costello, Deputy Attomey General
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
412W. Washington Street (83702)
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0074
Sean. costello@puc. idaho. gov
Electronic Mail
Lisa D. Nordstrom
Idaho Power Company
l22l West Idaho Street (83702)
P.O. Box 70
Boise, lD 83707
lnordstrom@idahopower. com
dockets@idahopower. com
Matthew A. Nykiel
Benjamin J. Otto
Idaho Conservation League
P.O. Box 2308
102 E. Euclid, #207
Sandpoint, ID 83864
mnyki el@idahoconservation. org
botto@idahoconservation.org
Briana Kobor
Vote Solar
360 22"d Street, Suite 730
Oakland, CA 94612
briana@votesolar.org
Electronic Mail
Timothy E. Tatum
Connie Aschenbrenner
Idaho Power Company
1221 West Idaho Street (83702)
P.O. Box 70
Boise, ID 83707
ttatum@idahopower. com
caschenbrenner@idahopower. com
Abigail R. Germaine
Boise City Attorney's Office
150 N. Capitol Blvd.
P.O. Box 500
Boise, ID 83701-0500
agermaine@cityofboise. org
Vote Solar
c/o David Bender
Earthjustice
3916 Nakoma Road
Madison, WI 53711
dbender@ earthjusti ce. ore
Ioe,Ho Cr-eeN ENERGY AssocrATroN's REeUEST FoR INTERVENoR FUNDTNG - 7
Electronic Mail (continued)
Idaho Irrigation Pumpers Association, Inc.
c/o Eric L. Olsen
Echo Hawk & Olsen, PLLC
505 Pershing Ave., Suite 100
P.O. Box 6119
Pocatello, ID 83205
elo@echohawk.com
Elias Bishop
Auric Solar, LLC
2310 S. 1300 W.
West Valley city, UT 84119
Elias.bishop@auricsolar. com
Zack Waterman
Idaho Sierra Club
503 W. Franklin Street
Boise, lD 83702
Zach. waterman@ si erraclub. org
Tom Beach
Crossborder Energy
2560 9th Street, Suite 213A
Berkeley, CA947l0
tomb@cro s sborderenergy. com
Snake River Alliance NW Energy Coalition
c/o John R. Hammond Jr.
Fisher Pusch LLP
l0l South Capital Blvd., Suite 701
Boise, ID 83702
irh@fisherpusch.com
Anthony Yankel
12700 Lake Avenue, Unit 2505
Lakewood, OH 44107
tony@yankel.net
Idahydro
clo C. Tom Arkoosh
Arkoosh Law Offices
802 W. Bannock Street, Suite 900
P.O. Box 2900
Boise, ID 83701
Tom.arkoosh@arkoosh.com
Erin. cecil@arkoosh. com
Sierra Club
c/o Kelsey Jae Nunez
Kelsey Jae Nunez LLC
920 N. Clover Drive
Boise, ID 83703
kelsey@kelseyj aenunez. com
Michael Heckler
3606 N. Prospect Way
Garden City, ID 83714
Michael.p.heckl er@ gmail. com
Snake River Alliance
wwilson@snakeriveralliance. ors
NW Energy Coalition
dieeo@nwenergy.ore
IDAHo CI-e,tN ENERGY ASSoCIATION,S REQUEST FOR INTERVENoR FUNDING - 8
Electronic Mail (Continued)
Intermountain Wind and Solar, LLC
c/o Doug Shipley
Dale Crawford
1952 West 2425 South
Woods Cross, UT 84087
doug@imwindandsolar. com
dale@imwindandsolar. com
Intermountain Wind and Solar, LLC
c/o Ryan B. Frazier
Brian W. Burnett
Kirton McConkie
50 East South Temple, Suite 400
P.O. Bo 45120
Salt Lake city, UT 84111
rfrazier@kmclaw.com
bburnett@kmclaw.com
/-<'--d
Preston N. Carter
IDAHo CLEAN ENERGY AssocnTION,S REQUEST FOR INTERVENON FUNoINC - 9