20200331Avista Update Letter.pdf

Avista Corp. 1411 East Mission P.O. Box 3727 Spokane. Washington 99220-0500 Telephone [phone] Toll Free 800-727-9170

March 31, 2020
Diane Hanian, Secretary Idaho Public Utilities Commission 11331 W. Chinden Blvd. Bldg. 8, Ste. 201-A
Boise, Idaho 83714
Re: Case Nos. AVU-E-18-12 and AVU-G-18-08
Dear Ms. Hanian:
Avista Corporation, dba Avista Utilities (Avista or Company), submits the following
update to be include in the above referenced Case Nos. This update is intended to inform the record
of the Company’s plan to refile its “2018 Annual Conservation Report” (ACR), in reference to the
following Settlement Action Item:
Review the previously submitted "2018 Annual Conservation Report" and
determine the changes that should be made to assure that it conforms with the
terms of this agreement no later than the first quarter of Calendar Year ("CY")
2020.
Avista initially filed its 2018 ACR on June 28, 2019. In November 2019, the Company and
Commission Staff reached a settlement regarding Avista’s Energy Efficiency programs, inclusive
of recommendations for improvement of the Company’s Annual Conservation Report. Due to the
timing of these events, the previously-submitted 2018 ACR remains a reflection of the many
concerns held by the Commission Staff. Given the issues raised in the Settlement related to
Avista’s current reporting format, the Company believes it makes sense to resolve many of
Commission Staff’s concerns not only on an ongoing basis, but retroactively by refiling its 2018
ACR. Therefore, Avista intends to resubmit its 2018 ACR, no later than July 31, 2020, with the
RECEIVED
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proposed enhancements and modifications suggested by the Commission Staff, including but not
limited to:
1. Providing program information in a program-by-program format for readability;
2. Including additional content that had formerly been included in the Annual Conservation
Plan, such as more in-depth program descriptions, frequently used terms, the latest
Evaluation, Measurement and Verification (EM&V) plan, program changes made during
the year, and a Unit Energy Savings list for measures, and;
3. Showing a clear delineation between Avista’s ACR and the work done by its third-party
EM&V vendor.
Avista agrees that these adjustments will improve its reporting and serves to provide more
detail on its Energy Efficiency programs. It is important to note that the Company is not refiling
the 2018 ACR expecting different outcomes in terms of kWh or therm savings, but primarily to
incorporate a few new processes for formatting, reviewing, and content. The Company is diligently
working on continued improvements to its energy efficiency reporting processes and looks forward
to demonstrating further advancements in the upcoming year.
If you have any questions regarding this filing, please contact Ryan Finesilver, Manager of
Energy Efficiency, at [phone].

Sincerely,
/s/Linda Gervais//
Linda Gervais Manager, Regulatory Policy & Strategy 509-495-4975
Avista Utilities [e-mail]