Idaho Breaking News
Regulators Deny Idaho Power Request For Interim Rate Relief 11/18
Idaho Power Files General Rate Case 10/17
IDACORP Settles FERC’s Calif. Trading Accusations 10/17
Avista Requests Extension of Electric Surcharge/Rates Would Not
Change 8/14
Regulators Deny Idaho Power Request
For Interim Rate Relief
(November 18) Idaho Power officials have expressed disappointment
in a Nov. 13 decision by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) denying the
company's request for $20 million in interim rate relief.
Idaho Power filed for a general rate increase Oct. 16 seeking a
17.7 percent average increase in its rates. Within that application was a request for an
interim rate increase of 4.2 percent for all Idaho Power customers. The interim increase
would have started immediately and would have allowed the company to collect a $20 million
portion of its overall rate request. The balance of the company's request would have
continued to be addressed through a more extended regulatory review process.
In its request for interim rate relief, the company cited the
need to make significant investment in its utility operations to meet current and future
customer growth. Since 1993 Idaho Power has invested more than $850 million in equipment
and has added 100,000 new customers.
"While we are disappointed in this decision, we appreciate
the IPUC clearly stating this portion of our rate case is separate from the issues
associated with the general rate case," said Idaho Power President and Chief
Operating Officer LaMont Keen. "The commission has made it clear that this decision
will not affect the outcome of the general rate case." Today, hearings for that case
were set to begin March 29.
"We continue to believe that the thoroughness of our general
rate case filing will illustrate the need for an increase in our base rates," said
Keen.
On Nov. 13, the commission set May 28 as the date for issuance of
its final order with a June 1 implementation date for the new rates.
Source: PRNewswire
Idaho Power Files General Rate Case
(October 17) IDACORP's principal subsidiary, Idaho Power
Company, filed an application with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) on October
16, 2003 to increase the company's general rates an average of 17.7 percent. If
approved, company revenues would increase $86 million annually based on the proposed 11.2
percent return on equity. An additional component of today's filing is a request
for interim rate relief.
Although a portion of the company's rates is adjusted annually through the Power Cost
Adjustment to allow for fluctuations in the cost of producing or buying energy, the
company has not filed a general rate case since 1994. Rates at that time were based upon
the company's costs in 1993. Since then, Idaho Power has invested more than $850
million in its electrical system, experienced an increase in normal operating costs, and
added nearly 100,000 of the approximately 423,000 customers it serves today.
Idaho Power said that since 1993, it has expended $156 million for new generating
additions, $198 million for new transmission facilities and $366 million for construction
of distribution facilities to serve its growing customer base.
Idaho Power has included a request for $20 million in immediate interim rate relief.
The interim rate request represents a portion of the general rate request. If
approved, the company could begin to collect a 4.2 percent uniform interim rate increase
within 30 days.
Source: IDACORP’s website
IDACORP Settles FERC’s Calif. Trading Accusations
(October 17) On October 16, IDACORP Inc. said it would pay $83,373 in a settlement with
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to end allegations of unfair trading practices
during the California energy crisis of 2000-01.
The Idaho utility's proposed settlement is the latest in a string of agreements that FERC
lawyers have reached with energy trading companies in recent weeks.
In June, FERC commissioners identified 43 companies that may have used questionable
electricity trading strategies, and ordered the firms to "show cause" why they
should not have to repay the profits gained from such trades.
IDACORP did not admit any wrongdoing in the proposed settlement filed with FERC. FERC had
accused IDACORP's Idaho Power Co. unit of a series of transactions that falsely appeared
to relieve congestion in the market. The utility was paid $83,373 in congestion relief
payments between January 2000 and June 2001.
"Idaho Power Co. has chosen not to bear the expense of pursuing the matter further,
and will refund the full amount associated with the transactions in question," the
company told FERC, which must approve the proposed settlement. The case is pending in
docket EL03-156.
Source: Reuters
Avista Requests Extension of
Electric Surcharge/Rates Would Not Change
(August 14) Avista Corp. has filed with the Idaho Public
Utilities Commission (IPUC) a request to continue the existing power cost adjustment (PCA)
electric surcharge of 19.4 percent for an additional 12 months. If approved, there would
be no change to existing electric rates.
In the fall of 2001, the IPUC approved the current PCA and
directed Avista to file annual status reports related to continuing the 19.4 percent
surcharge. This is the second status report Avista has filed. Avista is requesting the
surcharge be extended until Oct. 11, 2004, in order to continue recovering excess power
costs that Avista has incurred to serve its customers. Avista makes no profit from
surcharge revenues and is required to absorb the first 10 percent of excess power costs.
The IPCA is designed to recover or rebate changes in certain
power supply costs that differ from those costs included in Avista's base rates. "The
extension of the PCA in Idaho would allow Avista to continue recovery of power costs while
offering our customers some of the lowest residential electric rates in the country,"
said Kelly Norwood, Avista vice president of state and federal regulation.
Avista's request to extend the electric surcharge is a proposal,
subject to both public review and a decision by the IPUC.
Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall
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