DR 97-238 Connecticut Valley Electric Company Inc. 1998 Conservation and Load Management Filing Order Approving Procedural Schedule O R D E R N O. 22,842 January 27, 1998 APPEARANCES: Ransmeier & Spellman by R. Matthew Cairns, Esq. for Connecticut Valley Electric Company Inc. and James C. Cunningham and Michelle A. Caraway for the Staff of the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission. I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY On November 14, 1997, Connecticut Valley Electric Company Inc. (CVEC) filed with the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (Commission) a petition for approval of its 1998 Conservation and Load Management (C&LM) Proposal for C&LM Percentage Adjustment (C&LMPA) Effective January 1, 1998. The proposed C&LMPA includes no direct program spending. The 1998 C&LMPA includes recovery of C&LM costs, net revenue loss, incentive share and current interest. By Order No. 22,810 (December 24, 1997), the Commission scheduled a prehearing conference for January 13, 1998, set deadlines for intervention requests and objections thereto, outlined a proposed procedural schedule, and required the Parties and Commission Staff (Staff) to summarize their positions with regard to the filing for the record. No party filed for intervention. The Office of the Consumer Advocate (OCA) is a statutorily recognized intervenor. At the prehearing conference, CVEC and Staff agreed to the proposed procedural schedule as outlined in Order No. 22,810 with one modification. The proposed schedule is as follows: Responses to Oral Data Requests January 20, 1998 Propounded at the 1st Technical Session Data Requests by Staff and January 26, 1998 Intervenors Company Data Responses February 2, 1998 Technical Session February 9, 1998 Testimony by Staff and February 13, 1998 Intervenors Data Requests by the Company February 23, 1998 Data Responses by Staff and March 2, 1998 Intervenors Settlement Conference March 9, 1998 Filing of Settlement Agreement, if any March 18, 1998 Hearing March 24, 1998 In accordance with Order No. 22,810, CVEC and Staff stated their positions with regard to the filing for the record. CVEC stated that it seeks approval of its petition as submitted. CVEC stated that it is not aware of any intervention and that it did not anticipate opposing intervenors if any party appeared. Staff stated its concerns as those outlined in Order No. 22,810: (1) the review of the calculation for net revenue loss relative to kilowatt hour savings and amounts; (2) CVEC's phase out of monitoring and evaluation activities during 1997; (3) the review of calculations for incentive amounts; (4) the overcollection of 1997 approved C&LMPA rates; (5) compliance with the Commission's Final Plan in DR 96-150 issued February 28, 1997; and (6) the calculation of the overall C&LMPA. Staff also stated that it was concerned with CVEC's interest in an accelerated recovery mechanism for collecting net revenue loss. The Hearing Examiner's Report was issued on January 13, 1998. The Hearing Examiner recommended that the Commission issue an order establishing the proposed procedural schedule, as amended, as the Commission calendar permits. II. COMMISSION ANALYSIS We find the proposed procedural schedule to be reasonable and will, therefore, approve it for the duration of the proceeding. Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby ORDERED, that the procedural schedule delineated above is APPROVED. By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New Hampshire this twenty-seventh day of January, 1998. Douglas L. Patch Bruce B. Ellsworth Susan S. Geiger Chairman Commissioner Commissioner Attested by: Thomas B. Getz Executive Director and Secretary