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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20220808Amended_Notice_of_Application_Amended_Order_No_35480.pdfAMENDED NOTICE OF APPLICATION AMENDED NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE AMENDED ORDER NO. 35480 1 Office of the Secretary Service Date August 8, 2022 BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF INTERMOUNTAIN GAS COMPANY FOR A DETERMINATION OF 2021 ENERGY EFFICIENCY EXPENSES AS PRUDENTLY INCURRED ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) CASE NO. INT-G-22-03 AMENDED NOTICE OF APPLICATION AMENDED NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE AMENDED ORDER NO. 35480 On July 12, 2022, Intermountain Gas Company (“Company”), a subsidiary of MDU Resources Group, Inc., filed an Application for an order designating $4,028,174 of 2021 Energy Efficiency Program (“EE Program”) expenditures as prudently incurred. The Company has submitted its 2021 Energy Efficiency Annual Report with the Application. With this Order, the Commission provides notice of the Company’s Application and sets a deadline for interested parties to intervene. BACKGROUND In 2017, the Commission authorized the Company to establish the EE Program for its residential customers. See Case No. INT-G-16-02; Order No. 33757 at 35-37. The purpose of the EE Program “is to encourage upgrades to, or use of, high efficiency natural gas equipment.” Rate Schedule EE, Intermountain Gas Company I.P.U.C. Gas Tariff, Sheet No. 16 at 1. On July 27, 2017, the Company requested Commission authority to implement a funding mechanism for the EE Program. See Case No. INT-G-17-03. The Commission approved the Company’s requested funding mechanism of an Energy Efficiency Charge (“EEC”) for the EE Program, and approved Rate Schedules EE, EEC, and RS. The Commission found that the proposed EEC to residential customers of $0.00367 per therm to fund the EE Program was reasonable and appropriate. Order No. 33888 at 3. In Case No. INT-G-19-04, the Commission required the Company to commission a third- party Evaluation, Measurement and Verification (“EM&V”) study, review and update the avoided cost calculation with the Energy Efficiency Stakeholder Committee (“EESC”), immediately and continuously monitor, evaluate, and update its EE Program incentives with the best available data, and discontinue the 80% AFUE condensing fireplace incentive. Order AMENDED NOTICE OF APPLICATION AMENDED NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE AMENDED ORDER NO. 35480 2 No.34536. On October 1, 2019, the Commission authorized the Company to increase its EEC from $0.00367 per therm to $0.02093 per therm. Order No. 34454 at 4. In Case No. INT-G-20-04, the Commission authorized the Company to implement a Commercial EE Program in Rate Schedule EE-GS and established a funding mechanism for program costs in Rate Schedule EEC-GS (“EEC-GS”), which set the EEC-GS at $0.00320 per therm. The Commission directed the Company to develop an EM&V plan, file an Annual Commercial EE Program Report, include representatives from the GS-l rate class in its EESC, and immediately and continuously monitor, evaluate, and update its Commercial EE Program incentives with the best available data. Order No. 34941. In Case No. INT-G-21-03, the Commission acknowledged an overfunded rider balance in the EE Program of $1,318,197 and permitted the Company to carry forward the balance to meet anticipated increased EE Program participation. Order No. 35313 at 5. NOTICE OF APPLICATION YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the Company represented that the EE Program expenditures are funded through collections from customers via Energy Efficiency Charges. The Company stated that its Rate Schedule EEC-RS of $0.02093 per therm funds the Residential EE Program and the total Residential EE Program revenues for calendar year 2021 were $5,393,824. The Company represented that its Rate Schedule EEC-GS of $0.00320 per therm funds the Commercial EE Program and the revenues for the first nine months of the Commercial program were $234,906. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company represented that the combined expenditures for the Residential and Commercial Programs for January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, were $4,028,174. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company represented that the Residential Program began the year with an over-collected deferral balance of $1,318,197 and experienced growth of the over-collected balance to $2,834,164 by December 31, 2021. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company represented that for this filing, the Company used the Avoided Costs as calculated in the IRP (See Case No. INT-G-21-06, Exhibit No. 5). AMENDED NOTICE OF APPLICATION AMENDED NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE AMENDED ORDER NO. 35480 3 YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Application, Annual Report, and supporting documentation have been filed with the Commission and are available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Commission’s office. These documents are also available on the Commission’s website at www.puc.idaho.gov. Click on the “Natural Gas” icon, select “Open Cases,” and then click on the case number as shown on the front of this document. 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. 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. NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that persons desiring to intervene in this matter to obtain parties’ rights of participation must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission pursuant to this Commission’s Rules of Procedure 72 and 73, IDAPA 31.01.01.072 and -.073. Persons who wish to intervene as a party must file a Petition to Intervene no later than August 23, 2022. Such persons shall also provide the Commission Secretary with their email address to facilitate further communications. After the intervention deadline runs, the Commission Secretary shall issue a Notice of Parties that identifies the parties and assigns exhibit numbers to each party. Once the Notice of Parties has issued, Commission Staff shall informally confer with the Company and any intervening parties about how to further process this case and shall then report back to the Commission on a proposed case schedule. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that persons who would like to present their views without parties’ rights of participation and cross-examination do not have to intervene but may present their views by submitting written comments to the Commission. YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the following people are designated as the Company’s representatives in this matter: Lori A. Blattner Director - Regulatory Affairs Intermountain Gas Company Post Office Box 7608 Boise, ID 83707 lori.blattner@intgas.com Preston N. Carter Givens Pursley LLP 601 W. Bannock St. Boise, ID 83702 prestoncarter@givenspursley.com stephaniew@givenspursley.com AMENDED NOTICE OF APPLICATION AMENDED NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE AMENDED ORDER NO. 35480 4 ORDER IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that persons desiring to intervene in this matter must file a Petition to Intervene no later than August 23, 2022. Once the deadline has passed, the Commission Secretary shall prepare and issue a Notice of Parties. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, after the Notice of Parties has issued, Commission Staff shall confer with the parties regarding a procedural schedule for this matter including, if necessary, a hearing in this matter. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that parties comply with Order No. 35375, issued April 21, 2022. Generally, all pleadings should be filed with the Commission electronically and will be deemed timely filed when received by the Commission Secretary. See Rule 14.02. Service between parties should continue to be accomplished electronically when possible. However, voluminous discovery-related documents may be filed and served on CD-ROM or a USB flash drive. DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this 8th day of August 2022. ERIC ANDERSON, PRESIDENT JOHN CHATBURN, COMMISSIONER JOHN R. HAMMOND JR., COMMISSIONER ATTEST: Jan Noriyuki Commission Secretary I:\Legal\GAS\INT-G-22-03\orders\INTG2203_Amend_NtcApp_Int_cb.docx