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