HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230418Notice_of_Application_Order_No_35745.pdfNOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 35745 1
Office of the Secretary
Service Date
April 18, 2023
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF ALGOMA WATER’S
APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO
INCREASE ITS RATES AND CHARGES FOR
WATER SERVICE IN THE STATE OF
IDAHO
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CASE NO. AWS-W-23-01
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF
INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 35745
On March 7, 2023, Algoma Water System dba Algoma Water (“Company” or “Algoma”)
applied to change rates for its residential and commercial customers.1 Application at 1. The
Company proposes to increase rates for residential customers to $54.00 per month and increase
rates for commercial customers to $89.00 per month. Id. The Company’s Application includes its
rate calculation and several exhibits. The Company did not request an effective date in its
Application.2
The Commission now issues this Notice of Application and sets deadlines by which
interested persons may intervene.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that Algoma Water System provides service to 22
residential and five commercial customers in or around the Sagle, Idaho area.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that Algoma’s most recent general rate case was over
fifteen years ago in Case No. AWS-W-07-01.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that under the Company’s proposal, residential and
commercial customers rates would increase 100%. The new rates would increase to $54.00 per
month for residential customers and $89.00 per month for commercial customers. Id.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company seeks additional revenues to cover
expenses and costs associated with maintaining and operating the water system. Id.
1 The Company’s Application was not entered into the Commission’s case management system until April 6, 2023.
2 In a filing made on April 7, 2023, the Company did request a June 1, 2023, effective date. This request was not
contemplated by the Commission at its April 10, 2023, Decision Meeting.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 35745 2
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Company’s Application did not indicate it
provided notice to its customers “when it filed its Application or as soon as possible thereafter” or
the press release that shall be “mailed or delivered simultaneously with the filing of the
application” as required under IDAPA 31.01.01.125(3)-(4).
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Application 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 “WATER” icon, select “Open Cases,”
and click on the case number as shown on the front of this document.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission has designated this case as a
general rate case. As such, the Company’s intrastate revenue requirement, and every component
of it, both rate base and expense, are at issue. The Commission may grant, deny, or modify the
revenue requirement requested and may find a revenue requirement different from that proposed
by any party is just, fair, and reasonable. IDAPA 31.01.01.124.01.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that all of the Company’s retail rates and charges are
at issue, and every component of every existing and proposed rate and charge is at issue. The
Commission may approve, reject, or modify the rates and charges proposed and may find that rates
and charges different from those proposed by any party are just, fair, and reasonable. IDAPA
31.01.01.124.02.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission may approve, reject, or modify
existing or proposed relationships between and among rates and charges within, between, or
among customer classes or rate groupings and may approve, reject, or modify existing or proposed
relationships among and between customer classes or rate groupings. Id.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission may abolish, reduce, or create rate
blocks or categories of rates and charges; abolish, create, or reduce components of rates and
charges; abolish, reduce, or create customer classes or rate groupings; and abolish, reduce, or create
absolute or relative differences among and between existing classes or rate groupings of customers.
Id.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the tariffs, practices, rules and regulations, service,
instrumentalities, equipment, facilities, classifications, and customer relations of the utility are at
issue, and the Commission may address any of them in its order. Id.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 35745 3
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission has jurisdiction over Algoma, its
filing, and the issues pertaining to this case pursuant to 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 71-73, IDAPA 31.01.01.072-073. Persons who
wish to intervene as a party must file a Petition to Intervene no later than 21 days after the
date of service of this Order. Persons desiring to present their views without parties’ rights of
participation do not have to intervene and may present their comments without prior notification
to the Commission or the parties.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the Commission Secretary shall issue a Notice of
Parties after the deadline for intervention has passed. The Notice of Parties shall assign exhibit
numbers to each party in this proceeding.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that once the Notice of Parties is issued, Commission
Staff will informally confer with the parties to discuss a schedule to process this case and other
issues as may be raised by the parties.
YOU ARE FURTHER NOTIFIED that the following persons are designated as the
Company’s representatives in this matter:
Bob Hansen
Algoma Water System
67 Wild Horse Trail
Sandpoint, ID 83864
(208) 265-4270
wsmibob@aol.com
Jeff Cowley
Operator
67 Wild Horse Trail
Sandpoint, ID 83864
(208) 265-4270
jeff.cowley@usa.com
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that persons desiring to intervene in this case for the purpose
of obtaining parties’ rights of participation must file a Petition to Intervene with the Commission
no later than 21 days after the service date of this Order.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, after the Secretary issues a Notice of Parties, Staff will
informally confer with the parties to discuss the appropriate scheduling of this case.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION
NOTICE OF INTERVENTION DEADLINE
ORDER NO. 35745 4
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Company shall comply with the requirement of
timely distribution of customer notices of the proposed rate change and the publication of a press
release under IDAPA 31.01.01.125(3)-(4) within 30 days of the service date of this Order.
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 18th day of
April 2023.
__________________________________________
ERIC ANDERSON, PRESIDENT
__________________________________________
JOHN R. HAMMOND JR., COMMISSIONER
__________________________________________
EDWARD LODGE, COMMISSIONER
ATTEST:
_________________________________
Jan Noriyuki
Commission Secretary
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