28575.doc

BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

IN THE MATTER OF THE DETERMINATION OF THE INTEREST RATE ON DEPOSITS COLLECTED FROM CUSTOMERS OF GAS, ELECTRIC, TELEPHONE AND WATER PUBLIC UTILITIES FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2001.
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CASE NO. GNRU00-5

ORDER NO. 28575

The Commission’s Customer Relations Rules for Gas, Electric and Water Utilities (IDAPA 31.21.01.106) and the Customer Relations Rules for Telephone Companies (IDAPA 31.41.01.106) both provide for the payment of interest on customer deposits. Pursuant to Rule 106.02 of these rule sets, the interest rate on deposits is determined by calculating the 12-month average interest rate for one-year treasury bills for the previous November 1 through October 31. The resulting rate is then rounded to the nearest whole percent. The calculated rate will be in effect for the following calendar year.
Using the weekly rates found in the “Wall Street Journal,” the average interest rate for one-year treasury bills for the 12-month period from November 1, 1999 through October 31, 2000, is 6.08%. This rounds to 6.0%. Accordingly, public utilities shall pay 6.0% annual interest on all customer deposits held pursuant to IDAPA Rules 31.21.01.106 and 31.41.01.106 for calendar year 2001. The 2001 interest rate is an increase from the 2000 interest rate of 5.0%.

O R D E R
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that 6.0% annual interest be paid during calendar year 2001 on customer deposits held by gas, electric, water, and telephone companies subject to this Commission’s jurisdiction under IDAPA 31.21.01.106 and 31.41.01.106. The Commission Secretary shall serve this Order upon all public utilities operating within Idaho.

THIS IS A FINAL ORDER. Any person interested in this Order (or in issues finally decided by this Order) may petition for reconsideration within twenty-one (21) days of the service date of this Order with regard to any matter decided in this Order or in interlocutory Orders previously issued in this Case No. GNRU00-5. Within seven (7) days after any person has petitioned for reconsideration, any other person may cross-petition for reconsideration. See Idaho Code §§ 61626 and 62-619.
DONE by Order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission at Boise, Idaho this _____ day of November 2000.

DENNIS S. HANSEN, PRESIDENT

MARSHA H. SMITH, COMMISSIONER

PAUL KJELLANDER, COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

Jean D. Jewell
Commission Secretary

vld/O:GNR-U-00-5_dh

ORDER NO. 28575 -1-

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
November 27, 2000