SCHDLNG.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                          
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION
               DEADLINE
NOTICE OF SCHEDULING
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 discourages disconnection and 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.  Customers disconnected for more than twelve months will only have to pay the re-establishment fee.  The re-establishment charge proposed is the same as the currently effective reconnection charge (currently $16.00 and $32.00 on overtime).  The Company states that there are approximately 300 residential customers who will be affected by this new policy and estimates it will gain $8.50 per customer per month for eight months of the non-vacation season for a total of $20,000 annually.
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 by Order No. 26831 issued March 6, 1997, suspended the effective date for 90 days.  The Commission requested further and more complete analysis of the Company’s proposal by Commission Staff.
Notices of Application and Modified Procedure in Case No. WWP-E-97-2 were issued on June 5, 1997.  The deadline for filing written comments was June 27, 1997.  Comments were filed by Commission Staff and the owner of a trailer court in Wallace, Idaho.  Reply comments were filed by the Company.  Based on its review of the filed comments in Case No. WWP-E-97-2 the Commission has determined that the public interest in this matter requires a hearing.  Reference IDAPA 31.01.01.204.
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that persons desiring to formally intervene in Case No. WWP-E-97-2 for the purpose of presenting testimony or cross-examining witnesses must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission pursuant to Rules 72 and 73 of the Commission's Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.000 et seq. no later than Friday, October 17, 1997.  Persons desiring to present their views without parties' rights of participation and cross-examination are not required to intervene and may present their comments without prior notification to the Commission or the parties.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all pursuant to the agreement of the parties and the Commission the following scheduling has been adopted in Case No. WWP-E-97-2:
September 26, 1997
October 31, 1997
November 14, 1997
Prefile deadline—direct testimony—Water Power
Prefile deadline—direct testimony—Staff/Intervenors
Prefile deadline—rebuttal testimony—Water Power
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the prepared testimony and exhibits of the parties must conform to the requirements of Rules 266 through 267 of the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.266-267.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that discovery is available in Case No. WWP-E-97-2 pursuant to the Commission’s Rules of Procedure, IDAPA 31.01.01.221-234.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Application in Case No. WWP-E-97-2 together with filings of record can be viewed at the Commission’s offices, 472 West Washington, Boise, Idaho and the Idaho offices of The Washington Water Power Company during regular business hours.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all proceedings in this case will be held pursuant to the Commission’s jurisdiction under Title 61 of the Idaho Code and that the Commission may enter any final Order consistent with its authority under Title 61.
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.  
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.  Persons needing the help of a sign language interpreter or other assistance of the kind that the Commission is obligated to provide under the Americans with Disabilities Act in order to participate in or to understand the 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 five (5) working days before the hearing by contacting the Commission Secretary at:
IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PO BOX 83720
BOISE, IDAHO  83720-0074
[phone]  (TELEPHONE)
[phone]  (TEXT TELEPHONE)
[phone]  (FAX)
DATED at Boise, Idaho this day of September 1997.

Myrna J. Walters
Commission Secretary
vld/N:WWP-E-97-2.sw
COMMENTS AND ANNOTATIONS
Text Box 1:
TEXT BOXES
Office of the Secretary
Service Date
September 24, 1997