20031217Press Release.pdf

IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
For Immediate Release
Case No. PAC-03-
December 11 , 2003
Contact: Gene Fadness [phone]
Website: www.puc.state.id.
Changes proposed to PacifiCorp irrigation program
Boise - The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is taking comments on some changes proposed for the
second year of PacifiCorp s irrigation load control credit rider program. PacifiCorp does business as
Utah Power in southeast Idaho, where it has about 58 000 customers.
Under the program , irrigators are paid credits for volunteering to shift their electrical use from super-
peak hours to light-load hours during the four-month irrigation season.
Power is more expensive during those hours of the day when it is in most demand. By curtailing use
during peak hours or shifting use to hours when demand is less, both the utility and its customers
save money.
During the program s first year, about 207 irrigators with 402 metered sites participated in the
program resulting in credits valued at $277 500 paid out over the four-month irrigation season.
Demand reduction as a result of the program was about 42 megawatts per month with an estimated
9 million kilowatt-hours in total energy savings for the season.
The changes proposed for the second year of the program streamline the enrollment process and
make more customers eligible to participate.
PacifiCorp proposes to provide its irrigation customers with a load control service agreement by Jan.
15, 2004. Customers would have one month to determine if they want to participate and would
return a signed agreement by Feb. 15. Once PacifiCorp has a good estimate of the number who want
to participate it would notify customers of the scheduled hours for load control by March 15.
Customers would then have one month , until April 15, to opt out of the program without penalty.
The company is also proposing to drop its previous regulation that made 708 customers who filed aletter of intent to participate last year but then did not participate ineligible to participate in this
year s program. Many of those customers chose not to participate due to concerns over costs theywould incur to have their meters adjusted. This year, the company is proposing to pay the costs of
timers or other load control devices as rong as they do not exceed $1,000.
The program is the result of a commission order issued in June of 2002 that directed the company to
develop a load control prbgram that can reduce the company s power supply expenses by preventing
it from having to go to the sometimes volatile wholesale market to meet customer demand. The June
2002 order allowed PacifiCorp to recover $22.7 million in power supply expenses incurred by the
company during the 2000-01 period when wholesale electric prices reached record levels.
Those wanting to comment on PacifiCorp s proposed changes to the irrigation load control programmust do so by Dec. 30.
Persons wishing to submit comments can do so via e-mail by accessing the commission s homepage
at www.puc.state.id.and clicking on "Comments & Questions." Fill in the case number (PAC-E-03-14) and enter your comments. Comments can also be mailed to P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-
0074 or faxed to [phone].
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