20170901Comments (12).PDF

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August 27,2017
Idaho PUC
P.O.Box 83720
Boise,ID 83720-0074
This is concerning AVISTA’s 2%proposed annual power
cost rate adjustment/Bonneville Residential Exchange
Program/Energy Efficiency Programs &Fixed Cost
Adjustment Mechanism,to take effect on October,1,2017 for
residential customers.
The insert in our August bil I takes some convoluted
thinking,but bottom-line,while the Bonneville Exchange
Program sounds reasonable,I also have no objection to the
apparent “rebate”portion of the rate increase request.
The 3rd and 4th reasons however are questionable at
best.
Reason #3 is to finance the costs needed to run rebate,
efficiency programs,and financial incentives.In other words,
robbing ‘Peter”to pay “Paul.”
Reason #4 for this increase is the real doozy.A backdoor
way to implement what they tried a couple of years ago.As
they say in the insert:“A fixed cost adjustment mechanism
(FCA),to break the link between their revenue and customer
energy usage/demand.Lower energy usage caused by the
weather,warm winters,energy conservation,or the
economy...”“This rate adjustment is driven primarily by a
lower level of customer usage in 2016 due in part to a warmer
than normal winter...“
In other words,they want to have their cake and eat it too.
We get a break with a warmer winter so we don’t have to use
as much power to heat our homes,but since this cuts into
Avista’s revenue,they want a surcharge to compensate
themselves with.Also,if we conserve as stated in reason #3,
which they want to Charge us for their efficiency
programs,then they want us to pay more so they don’t loose
a dime when we do!They want as much money from us for
giving us less!
This is an abomination of the capitalist supply and
demand system.What other business,in this case,a
monopoly for electric service,can do this?If a grocery or
clothing store has lower sales,they don’t just jack up the
prices of their merchandise to compensate themselves,they
have a sale to attract more customers.Of course,this means
“Compition”which we obviously have none here.
This on top of the of the general rate case requested in
June of this year would increase our power rates by
approximately 15%.
Please draw a line in the sand and turn down these
endless money-grubbing requests.
Lawrence Fury
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Diane Holt
From:[e-mail]
Sent:Wednesday,August 30,2017 1:47 PM
To:Beverly Barker Diane Halt;Matthew Evans
Subject:Case Comment Form:daryl mong
Name:daryl mong
Case Number:VV I7l JA/I761
Email:[e-mail]
Telephone:[phone]
Address:224 bane lane
bonners ferry ID,83805
Name of Utility Company:avista
Comment:In reference to Avista’s FCA rate request of 11/1/17.If I understand the customer will now be penalized for
winter weather when warmer than normal.Will you even consider this request?
Unique Identifier:172.79.107.172
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My Name is Art Piltch and I’m an Avista customer in Sandpoint.I
appreciate Avista’s energy conservation efforts,and I appreciate that half
of the electricity that I get from Avista comes from clean hydropower,and
some more from wind,solar and biomass.However,I am not at all
pleased that Avista plans to further its investments in coal fired
generators at Colstrip,Montana.They claim that this will allow them to
maintain low electricity rates for their customers in the near term.I
believe this is very shortsighted and certainly a bad decision for the long
term.
First of all is coal’s contribution to climate change.It’s no coincidence
that the 1000 year flooding of tropical storm Harvey has occurred when
the surface temperatures in the gulf are exceptionally high.It was no
coincidence that record warm ocean temperatures in waters off the
southeastern U.S.in 2016,also led to extreme amounts of rainfall.In
March,a 200 year rainfall event brought 15-20”of rain to parts of
Louisiana and Texas,killing 5 people and causing $1.5 billion in
damage.Then in August,a 1000 year storm brought more than 20”of
rain to Louisiana,causing 13 deaths and $10 -15 billion in damage.
Then in October,Hurricane Matthew caused the highest ever observed,
storm surge for the coasts of Northern Florida,Georgia and North
Carolina,and dumped 1-in-1000 year rains in the Carolinas.Matthew
killed 49 people in the U.S.,with damage estimated at up to $10 billion.
It’s no coincidence that the alarming increase in wildfires in the west
since the 1970’s,has been associated with increasingly long hot dry
summers and early snow melt.It’s no coincidence that droughts,killer
heat waves and extreme weather keep getting worse all over the US and
all around the world,as global emissions from fossil fuels continues to
rise.What we are seeing now is just a small taste of what conditions will
be like by the end of this century,if we continue business as usual.The
costs to future generations are incalculable,and will be beyond society’s
resources to deal with.It will take a while to transition away from fossil
fuel use,but we need to be planning for that transition right now,
especially in the case of coal which produces the most greenhouse gas,
as well as being the most destructive to our environment and health.
Even in the short term,Avista’s continuing to invest in Colstrip may
adversely affect the rates that we customers will pay.Since the other
utilities that are now co-owners of the plant,have plans to divest in the
near future,what additional costs will Avista accrue?What will happen
when society finally agrees to a carbon tax?And why be stuck with
paying for outdated technology,when the cost of harnessing solar,wind
and geothermal energy will certainly become cheaper,and the costs
associated with storage of intermittent sources is also decreasing.
Instead,Avista should be planning on replacing coal.Por example,the
same area of Montana that provides coal to the generators is among the
best in the country for wind resources.Wind generated electricity could
be transmitted to Avista customers along the same power lines that now
bring us power from Coistrip.
Washington,Oregon,California and a number of other states already
have plans to shift to renewables.So should Idaho,and we have the
resources.We may already be using all available hydropower,but we
can certainly utilize more of our solar and wind resources.I think the
most underutilized resource in Idaho is geothermal.A map prepared by
the National Renewable Energy Laboratories,shows the location of
known geothermal resources,and Idaho has a very favorable
abundance of these.Also,by using cutting edge enhanced geothermal
techniques,the geothermal resource can be increased up to forty fold.
Geothermal power is a steady source,that can follow demand with a
quicker response than coal.With the right planning and policies in place
to encourage development of this technology,it will also produce
electricity more cheaply than coal in the long run.
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IDAHO
PUBLIC UTILITIES
COMMISSION
COMMENT FORM
Public Workshop
AVU-E-1 7-01
Coeur D’Alene,Idaho
08131117
Please use the space below to file a comment in this case.Add extra sheets as needed.You
may either hand this sheet to a commission staff member or mail it to:
IPUC,PC Box 83720,Boise,ID 83720-0074
You may also post comments on our website:
http://www.puc.idaho.gov
Click on “Case Comment Form”
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IDAHO
PUBLIC UTILITIES
COMMISSION
COMMENT FORM
Public Workshop
AVU-E-1 7-01
Coeur D’Alene,Idaho
08131117
Please use the space below to file a comment in this case.Add extra sheets as needed.You
may either hand this sheet to a commission staff member or mail it to:
IPUC,PC Box 83720,Boise,ID 83720-0074
You may also post comments on our website:
http:Ilwww.puG.idaho.gov
Click o “Case Comment Form”
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Print Name
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Name address,Customer since Nov 2016 (c
Here to comment on Avista’s request for rate increase which is
considerable higher than the rate of inflation.
This is a two fold request one for 3 percent because people are
working to save energy so now Avista wants to raise rates to cover
the success of their advertising campaigns.
The second is an increase,that in two ways is out of line.
A 7.5 percent increase in Jan 2018 followed by a 3.7 percent increase
in 2019 which will actually be a 3.9775....,lets just call it 4 percent
increase.This at a time when the national inflation rate is all the way
upto 1.7%
Also on the heals of a rate increase approved on Dec 28,2016 great
time when no one is watching.E.cavtcv vk 1,0 Y Sa
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To put it bluntly,this rate increase is unacceptable and only designed
to enhance the attractiveness or Avista as it sells out to an
international company.
Second on my agenda this evening is thresholds
The average American Household uses 901 kilowatts a month,
Idahoans on average use 957 figures are from the U.S.energy
Information association.
Avista’s rate threshold is 600 KW.At which point the KW price
increases from .082526 to .09511.
If you approve this increase do not do it witIan increase in this
threshold.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
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IDAHO
PUBLIC UTILITIES
COMMISSION
COMMENT FORM
Public Workshop
AVU-G-1 7-01
tewiston,Ida ho
O8O
*1/17
Please use the space below to file a comment in this case.Add extra sheets as needed.You
may either hand this sheet to a commission staff member or mail it to:
IPUC,PC Box 83720,Boise,ID 83720-0074
You may also post comments on our website:
http://www.puc.idaho.gov
Click on “Case Comment Form”
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_____________________
Sign Name
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Zip Code 3I4
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Avista Rate Case Workshops
How You Can Comment
The Idaho PUC staff want to know your concerns,so here’s how you can
introduce yourself and present issues of interest to you:
“My name is
_______and
I am an Avista customer in [CITY],Idaho.I appreciate
the PUC staff facilitating this workshop because I would like clarity on a few
issues.
•Avista estimates spending $24 million over the next 3 years on
capital additions as part of the ownership agreement of Colstrip.
Can they give us information on what those improvements are
specifically?
•Will these investments in Colstrip prolong the useful life of the
plant beyond 2035?
•Does this rate increase plan for any cleanup costs in Colstrip or
will those be in future rate increases?
•How much of the Colstrip cleanup costs will Avista ratepayers be
on the hook for?
•Why are Avista’s cost estimates for Colstrip so far off base from
other utility companies?Are they accurately assessing all of the
potential costs?
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IDAHO
PUBLIC UTILITIES
COMMISSION
COMMENT FORM
Public Workshop
AVU-G-1 7-01
Coeur D’Alene,Idaho
08131117
Please use the space below to file a comment in this case.Add extra sheets as needed.You
may either hand this sheet to a commission staff member or mail it to:
IPUC,PC Box 83720,Boise,ID 83720-0074
You may also post comments on our website:
http://www.puc.idaho.gov
Click on “Case Comment Form”
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