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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210617Notice_of_Application_Order_No_35079.pdfNOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE ORDER NO. 35079 1 Office of the Secretary Service Date June 17, 2021 BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER’S APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ITS RATES AND CHARGES IN IDAHO AND APPROVAL OF PROPOSED ELECTRIC SERVICE SCHEDULES AND REGULATIONS ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) CASE NO. PAC-E-21-07 NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE ORDER NO. 35079 On May 27, 2021, PacifiCorp dba Rocky Mountain Power (“Company”) applied to the Commission requesting authority to increase its Idaho jurisdictional revenue requirement by $19.0 million. If granted, the Company’s request would increase overall customer rates by approximately 7.0 percent, with an average residential customer seeing an increase of about $10.32 per month. The Company requests a July 1, 2021, effective date. NOTICE OF APPLICATION YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED the Company is a Commission-regulated electrical corporation. See Idaho Code § 61-119. It is an Oregon company that provides electric service to retail customers in six states. In Idaho, the Company provides retail electric service to about 85,600 customers. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED the Company estimates the Company would earn under existing rates an overall ROE of about 7.48 percent during the test year—well below the Company’s Commission-authorized ROE of 9.9 percent. The Company thus requests a revenue requirement increase of $19.0 million—approximately 7.0 percent—with a return on equity (“ROE”) of 10.20 percent. The proposed increase is based on a historical test year ending December 31, 2020, “adjusted for known and measurable changes through December 31, 2021.” Application at 3. The Company notes that its test year “incorporates the Company’s updated depreciation study, which went into effect January 1, 2021, and costs and benefits associated with NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE ORDER NO. 35079 2 the wind repowering and new wind projections, all of which will be in service by the end of 2021.” Id. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company’s Application proposes the following changes to customer rates by schedule: Residential – Schedule 1 9.2% Residential – Schedule 36 10.0% General Service – Schedule 6 9.4% General Service – Schedule 9 8.1% Irrigation – Schedule 10 6.7% General Service – Schedule 23 4.9% General Service – Schedule 35 9.4% Public Street Lighting -38.6% Contract – Schedule 400 4.9% Overall Increase 7.0% YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company’s Application includes written testimony and exhibits explaining and defending the calculation of the Company’s proposed rate increase. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company asserts it is providing notice of the Application to its customers by means of “bill inserts included in customer bills over the course of a billing cycle, and, in some cases, personal contact with customers or their representatives.” Id. at 8. The Company is also issuing a press release to local media organizations and providing copies of the Application on its website and at local Company offices. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Application and supporting documentation have been filed with the Commission and are available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Commission’s office. These documents are also available on the Commission’s web site at www.puc.idaho.gov. Click on the “ELECTRIC” icon, select “Open Cases,” and click on the case number as shown on the front of this document. NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE ORDER NO. 35079 3 YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission has designated this case as a general rate case. As such, the Company’s intrastate revenue requirement, and every component of it, both rate base and expense, are at issue. The Commission may grant, deny, or modify the revenue requirement requested and may find a revenue requirement different from that proposed by any party is just, fair, and reasonable. IDAPA 31.01.01.124.01. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all of the Company’s retail rates and charges, both recurring and non-recurring, including those of special contract customers, are at issue, and every component of every existing and proposed rate and charge is at issue. The Commission may approve, reject, or modify the rates and charges proposed and may find that rates and charges different from those proposed by any party are just, fair, and reasonable. IDAPA 31.01.01.124.02. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission may approve, reject, or modify existing or proposed relationships between and among rates and charges within, between, or among customer classes or rate groupings and may approve, reject, or modify existing or proposed relationships among and between customer classes or rate groupings. Id. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission may abolish, reduce, or create rate blocks or categories of rates and charges, abolish, create, or reduce components of rates and charges, abolish, reduce, or create customer classes or rate groupings, and abolish, reduce, or create absolute or relative differences among and between existing classes or rate groupings of customers. Id. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the tariffs, practices, rules, and regulations, service, instrumentalities, equipment, facilities, classifications, and customer relations of the utility are at issue, and the Commission may address any of them in its order. Id. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission has jurisdiction over the Company, its filing, and the issues pertaining to this case pursuant to Title 61 of the Idaho Code and specifically Idaho Code §§ 61-501, -502, -507, -520, -523, and -622. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all proceedings in this matter will be conducted pursuant to the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.000 et seq. NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that persons desiring to intervene in this matter to obtain parties’ rights of participation must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE ORDER NO. 35079 4 pursuant to this Commission's Rules of Procedure 72 and 73, IDAPA 31.01.01.072 and .073. Persons who wish to intervene as a party must file a Petition to Intervene no later than 21 days after the date of service of this Order. Persons desiring to present their views without parties' rights of participation do not have to intervene and may present their comments without prior notification to the Commission or the parties. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission Secretary shall issue a Notice of Parties after the deadline for intervention has passed. The Notice of Parties shall assign exhibit numbers to each party in this proceeding. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that once the Notice of Parties is issued, Commission Staff will informally confer with the parties to discuss a schedule to process this case and other issues as may be raised by the parties. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the following persons are designated as the Company’s representatives in this matter: Ted Weston 1407 West North Temple, Suite 330 Salt Lake City, UT 84116 ted.weston@pacificorp.com Emily Wegener Matthew D. McVee 1407 West North Temple, Suite 320 Salt Lake City, UT 84116 emily.wegener@pacificorp.com matthew.mcvee@pacificorp.com YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all hearings and prehearing conferences in this matter will be held in facilities meeting the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Persons needing the help of a sign language interpreter or other assistance in order to participate in or to understand testimony and argument at a public hearing may ask the Commission to provide a sign language interpreter or other assistance at the hearing. The request for assistance must be received at least seven working days before the hearing by contacting the Commission Secretary at: IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION PO BOX 83720 BOISE, IDAHO 83720-0074 (208) 334-0338 (Telephone) (208) 334-3762 (FAX) secretary@puc.idaho.gov NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE ORDER NO. 35079 5 SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE The Company filed its Application on May 27, 2021, and proposes a July 1, 2021, effective date. The Commission finds the Company’s proposed effective date does not provide adequate time for Commission Staff and interested persons to evaluate the Company’s proposal. Pursuant to Idaho Code § 61-622, the Commission suspends the proposed changes for thirty (30) days and five months or until the Commission enters an order accepting, rejecting, or modifying the proposed rate increases. O R D E R IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that persons desiring to intervene in this case for the purpose of obtaining parties’ rights of participation must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission, under Rules 72 and 73, IDAPA 31.01.01.72-73, no later than 21 days after the service date of this Order. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the July 1, 2021, effective date that the Company proposes for its rate increases is suspended for 30 days plus five months or until the Commission enters an earlier order accepting, rejecting, or modifying the proposed rate increases. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that parties should continue to comply with Order No. 35058, issued June 3, 2021. All pleadings should be filed with the Commission electronically and shall be deemed timely filed when received by the Commission Secretary. See Rule 14.02. Service between parties should also be accomplished electronically. Voluminous discovery-related documents may be filed and served on CD-ROM or a USB flash drive. /// NOTICE OF APPLICATION NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE SUSPENSION OF PROPOSED EFFECTIVE DATE ORDER NO. 35079 6 DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this 17th day of June 2021. PAUL KJELLANDER, PRESIDENT KRISTINE RAPER, COMMISSIONER ERIC ANDERSON, COMMISSIONER ATTEST: Jan Noriyuki Commission Secretary I:\Legal\ELECTRIC\PAC-E-21-07\orders\PACE2107_ntc_of_App_mhdh.docx