20190815Customer Notice.pdf

ldaho Public Utilities Commission
Office ol the SecretaryRECEIVED
AUG I 5 2OI9
Boise, ldaho
Appendix A
(Date))
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Dear <GreetingLine>
Thank you for being a valued Natural Gas Service Customer of Avista. The purpose of this letter is to inform
you of changes we are proposing to make to our tariffs pertaining to interruptible and transportation
customers and our curtailment procedures for all natural gas customers.
On October 9,20t8, a rupture occurred on a natural gas transmission pipeline owned and operated by
Enbridge at a location north of Prince George, B.C. This event caused Avista to activate the Company's
emergency operations plan to address the shortage of natural gas within the Pacific Northwest. Several
of Avista's Oregon customers were curtailed the day after the event in order to maintain the integrity of
the Company's natural gas distribution system. After going through this event, and subsequent events
related to it over this past winter, the Company reviewed its tariffs and procedures in all of its service
jurisdictions and is now proposing to make changes in an effort to make them easier to understand and
follow, and to clarify and update its curtailment procedures.
The proposed changes will not affect the rates you are paying for service from Avista or the overall service
you receive. Specific changes being proposed that we would like to make you aware of are as follows:
Clarified the process by which the Company would curtail customers in the event curtailment is
eminent, including curtailing customers by their rate schedule instead of by amount of usage.
lncreased the curtailment penalty from SL per therm to SfO per therm. The proposed penalty is
consistent with other utilities in the region and is intended to motivate customers to quickly
curtail their usage of natural gas, if necessary.
Avista has requested these changes to become effective on October t,2079. We will be reaching out to
you once the revised tariffs are approved to provide an update and to make sure that we have the correct
emergency contact information on file. We appreciate your business and look forward to continuing to
provide you with efficient, affordable, natural gas service.
Please contact your Account Executive if you would like copies of current or proposed tariffs, or would
like to further discuss the proposed changes we will be making. lf you are unaware of who your Account
Executive is, please contact Shawn Bonfield at 509-495-2782 or [e-mail],
Sincerely,
Shawn Bonfield
Regional Account Executive
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