20180625final_order_no_34097.pdf

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
June 25,2018
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION )OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER )CASE NO.PAC-E-18-05
REQUESTINGAPPROVAL OF THE )
ANNUAL REVISION OF QF VARIABLE )ENERGY PRICES PURSUANT TO TERMS )
OF THE 1992 AMENDMENTS TO POWER )ORDER NO.34097
PURCHASE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN )IDAHO QFS AND PACIFICORP )
On July 1,2003,PacifiCorp dba Utah Power &Light Company (Company)in Case
No.PAC-E-03-10 sent a letter notifying the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (Commission)of
a July 1,2003,revision to the variable energy price for Qualifying Facilities (QFs)holding
certain power sales contracts with the Company.Thirteen QFs have PURPA contracts with
PacifiCorp that include a Commission-approved 1992 Amendment that outlines a methodology
that is to be used for determining the variable energy price component of the avoided-cost rate.
As stated in the 1992 contract Amendment:
Beginning July 1,2003 and continuing throughout the term of the power
purchase agreement,includingany extensions,the variable energy rate shall
be calculated in accordance with the followingmethodology:
(a)The variable energy rate shall be the sum of the Buyer's (PacifiCorp)fuel
cost and the variable [operations and maintenance (O&M)]cost.
(b)Buyer's fuel cost shall be the average cost of fuel consumed in Buyer's
Utah Division,specifically the Carbon,Hale,Naughton,Huntingtonand
Hunter generating plants.If any of the specified plants does not operate
in any calendar year,such plant shall be excluded from the calculation of
the average cost of fuel.The average cost of fuel shall be calculated using
the data reported in Buyer's FERC Form 1.For 1990,Buyer's fuel costs
are reported at pages 402-403,lines 12 and 21 of the FERC Form 1.In
the event that the FERC Form 1 ceases to include the cost of fuel or net
generation data,comparable data based upon Buyer's normal accounting
practices shall be used.
(c)Buyer's variable O&M cost shall be calculated using the methodology
adopted by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission in Order No.23738 for
determining the variable avoided O&M cost of the Surrogate Avoidable
Resource,excluding the State of Montana generationtax and the line loss
adjustment.
Order No.29316.
ORDER NO.34097 1
The variable energy component is composed of two parts,fuel costs for PacifiCorp
Utah thermal plants and variable O&M costs.Commission Order No.28708 clarified how each
oi ese two parts to the variable energy component is to be calculated:
For those PacifiCorp contracts with 1992 Addendum language,we note by
way of clarification,that the fuel component calculation is to remain
unchanged,i.e.,"average fuel costs as reported in FERC Form 1 for
PacifiCorp Carbon,(Hale-presently out of service),Naughton,Huntington
and Hunter plants."The variable O&M under the PacifiCorp QF contracts
while presently fixed,is to be tied to Colstrip beginning in 2003.The
Commission notes that pursuant to the '92 Addendum language in the
PacifiCorp QF contracts,generation taxes and a line loss adjustment are
specifically excluded from the calculation of any variable O&M.It is not our
intention to change this contract term.The Commission notes,as calculated
by Staff,that the exclusion of line loss (5%)and generation tax (20¢/MWh)
from the variable Colstrip calculation for affected PacifiCorp contracts
(beginning in 2003)results in an adjusted O&M figure of $1.51/MWh.
In Commission Order No.29316 in Case No.PAC-E-03-10 the Commission
authorized and approved a new variable energy rate for PacifiCorp/QF contracts with approved
1992 amendment language and ordered the Company as follows:
Recognizing the variable rate change we approve today is the first of what
will be an annual change in the variable rate for PacifiCorp/QF contracts with
92 Amendment language,IT IS FURTHER ORDERED and the Commission
does hereby direct PacifiCorp to make an annual filing with the Commission
on or before June 1 of each year showing its computation of the revised
variable energy costs for these contracts.
Order No.29316.
In accordance with Order No.29316,the adjustable portion of the avoided-cost rate
for existing PacifiCorp contracts with year 1992 amendments has been recomputed.Beginning
on July 1,2003,the adjustable portion for these contracts was ordered to be equal to the average
cost of fuel for the Carbon,Hale,Naughton,Huntingtonand Hunter generatingplans,including a
variable O&M component of $1.51/MWh but exclusive of generation taxes and a line-loss
adjustment.The variable energy rate applicable to deliveries commencing July 1,2018,
extending through June 30,2019,has been computed to be $23.67/MWh,an increase from
$23.29 last year.
ORDER NO.34097 2
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has jurisdiction over PacifiCorp dba Rocky
Mountain Power,an electric utility,pursuant to the authority and power granted it under Title 61
of the Idaho Code and the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA).The
Commission has authority under PURPA and the implementing regulations of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)to set avoided costs,to order electric utilities to enter
into fixed-term obligations for the purchase of energy from qualified facilities and to implement
FERC rules.
The Commission has reviewed and considered the filings of record in Case No.PAC-
E-18-05 and the proposed revision of the adjustable portion of the avoided-cost rate for
PacifiCorp QF contracts with 1992 amendment language.We have reviewed the Company's
supporting workpapers and have also considered the recommendations of Commission Staff.
The methodology that this Commission has approved for determining the variable energy cost
for these affected PacifiCorp QF contracts is similar to our annual update of the variable
avoided-cost rate associated with Colstrip and is a relativelysimple arithmetic re-calculation that
is based on data contained in PacifiCorp FERC Form 1 filings.We find the annual updated
variable energy cost calculation,as computed by PacifiCorp,for existing QF power purchase
contracts with the 1992 amendment to be correct.We further find the resulting adjustable rate to
be fair,justand reasonable.
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED and the Commission does hereby authorize and approve
a new variable energy rate of $23.67/MWh for deliveries commencing July 1,2018,extending
through June 30,2019,for those PacifiCorp/QF contracts with approved 1992 amendment
language.
THIS IS A FINAL ORDER.Any person interested in this Order may petition for
reconsideration within twenty-one (21)days of the service date of this Order.Within seven (7)
days after any person has petitioned for reconsideration,any other person may cross-petition for
reconsideration.See Idaho Code §61-626.
ORDER NO.34097 3
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise,Idaho this
day of June 2018.
PA KJELLiÑÐÊR,1 ESIDENT
KRISTINE RAPER,COMMISSIONER
ERIC ANDERSON,COMMISSIONER
ATTEST:
Diane M.Hanian
Commission Secretary
PACE1805 fmal sc
ORDER NO.34097 4