26831.docx

(text box: 1)BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF THE WASHINGTON WATER POWER COMPANY FOR AUTHORITY TO AMEND ITS ELECTRIC RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING RECONNECTION CHARGES.
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CASE NO. WWP-E-97-2                          
ORDER NO. 26831
On January 29, 1997, The Washington Water Power Company (Water Power; Company) filed a letter request with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (Commission) seeking authority to  amend its electric Rules and Regulations regarding reconnection charges.  The proposed tariff revision eliminates the financial incentive for customers to discontinue and re-establish service within a twelve-month period to avoid paying monthly minimum charges. The proposed revision to sheet 70-g requires that if a customer discontinues service and then re-establishes service within a twelve-month period, the customer is required to pay an amount equal to the monthly minimums that would have been billed had service not been discontinued as well as pay a re-establishment charge.  The re-establishment charge proposed is the same as the currently effective reconnection charge.  The Company requested an effective date of March 1, 1997.
The Company maintains that when customers request disconnections to avoid paying monthly minimum charges, the Company fails to recover costs associated with the distribution facilities that were installed to provide service to the dwelling.  When a disconnection/reconnection occurs, the Company states that it may also incur additional costs because, in many instances, a crew has to visit the dwelling twice; once to disconnect service and again to reconnect service.  The Company notes that its Schedule 71 tariff covering residential service in the Sandpoint area contains a provision that was carried over from the PacifiCorp tariff which states:  “Disconnect and reconnect transactions shall not operate to relieve a customer from monthly minimum charges.”
The Commission has reviewed and considered the Company’s filing in Case No. WWP-E-97-2.  The Commission finds that it has jurisdiction over Water Power and its Application by virtue of Title 61, Idaho Code and the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.000 et seq.
The Commission finds that it has authority under Idaho Code § 61-622 to suspend the proposed change in Water Power’s electric Rules and Regulations regarding reconnection charges for a period of 30 days plus five months from the proposed effective date of March 1, 1997.
The Commission desires further and more complete analysis of the Company’s proposal by Commission Staff.  To facilitate such analysis, the Commission finds it reasonable and necessary to suspend the proposed tariff revision for 90 days or until such earlier time as the Commission may issue an order accepting, rejecting or modifying the change in tariff requested by the Company in its Application.
O R D E R
In consideration of the foregoing and as more particularly described above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Application of  The Washington Water Power Company in Case No. WWP-E-97-2 for a proposed tariff revision should be and hereby is suspended for a period of ninety (90) days or until such earlier time as the Commission may issue an order accepting, rejecting or modifying the tariff revision requested by the Company in this matter.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this                  day of March 1997.
                                                                                                                                      RALPH NELSON, PRESIDENT
                                                                                           MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

DENNIS S. HANSEN, COMMISSIONER
ATTEST:

Myrna J. Walters
Commission Secretary
cm\O:wwpta971.sw
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Service Date
March 6, 1997