20201204Decision Memo.pdf

DECISION MEMORANDUM 1
DECISION MEMORANDUM

TO: COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
COMMISSIONER RAPER
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON
COMMISSION SECRETARY
COMMISSION STAFF
LEGAL

FROM: JOHN R. HAMMOND JR.
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL

DATE: DECEMBER 4, 2020

SUBJECT: ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER’S APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OR
REJECTION OF AN ENERGY SALES AGREEMENT WITH SUNNY
BAR RANCH; CASE NO. PAC-E-20-17.

On November 23, 2020, Rocky Mountain Power (“Company”) filed an Application
seeking approval of an amendment to an existing Energy Sales Agreement (“ESA”) the Company
has with Sunny Bar Ranch (“Seller”) for the energy generated by a small hydro-electric power
plant located in Butte County, Idaho (“Facility”). The Facility is a qualifying facility (“QF”) under
the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (“PURPA”).
THE APPLICATION
The Seller owns and operates the 350-kilowatt nameplate capacity Facility in Butte
County, Idaho. Application at 1. The Seller’s current ESA with the Company is dated June 27,
1985 and is scheduled to expire on April 30, 2021. Id. at 3. The Company and Seller seek to
extend the term of the existing ESA from May 1, 2021, through April 20, 2022 to allow the parties
time to complete a new stand-alone interconnection agreement that, after all distribution system
upgrades are constructed and in-service, will replace the interconnection provisions in the current
ESA. Id.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff is sending production requests to the Company with a 21-day response deadline.
Accordingly, Staff recommends the Commission issue a Notice of Application and Notice of
Modified Procedure that sets a January 14, 2021, comment deadline for interested persons and a
January 21, 2021, reply deadline for the Company.
DECISION MEMORANDUM 2

COMMISSION DECISION
Does the Commission wish to issue a Notice of Application and Notice of Modified
Procedure that sets a January 14, 2021, comment deadline for interested persons and a January
21, 2021, reply deadline for the Company?

_______________________________
John R. Hammond Jr.
Deputy Attorney General

I:\Legal\ELECTRIC\PAC-E-20-17\memos\PACE2017_dec memo_JRH.docx