DR 98-025
NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.
Requests for Temporary and Permanent Rates
Order Scheduling Prehearing Conference, Establishing a
Procedural Schedule and Hearing on
Temporary Rates and Suspending Tariff Pages
O R D E R N O. 22,926
May 12, 1998
On March 4, 1998, the New Hampshire Electric
Cooperative, Inc. (NHEC or the Company), pursuant to N. H.
Admin. Rule Puc 1604.05, filed with the New Hampshire Public
Utilities Commission (Commission) a notice of intent to file
rate schedules. On April 14, 1998, NHEC filed its Base Rate
Application seeking an increase in permanent retail rates of
approximately $4.68 million or 5.1%, effective July 1, 1998,
with supporting testimony and exhibits. Subsequently, on
April 15, 1998, NHEC submitted a motion requesting temporary
rates,
pursuant to RSA 378:27, with a proposed effective date of
July 1, 1998, for the duration of this proceeding. The
proposed temporary rate increase would increase rates 5.1%
across all classes of service.
The filing raises, inter alia, the appropriate
level and allocation of temporary and permanent rates, the
resulting Times Interest Earned Ratio (TIER) and Debt
Service Coverage (DSC), and changes to the Company's tariff.
Other issues include the effect of the proposed rates on the
Company's rate of return on rate base and Conservation &
Load Management surcharges, the recovery of incremental
set-up costs related to restructuring, and the replacement
of the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) factor with a Power Cost
Recovery Charge (PCRC) which would "unbundle" or separate
power cost recovery from the recovery of delivery costs, as
well as the adjustments made to test year revenues and
expenses.
Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby
ORDERED, that a Prehearing Conference, pursuant to
N.H. Admin. Rules Puc 203.05, be held before the Commission
located at 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord, New Hampshire on
June 10, 1998 at 10:00 am, at which each party will provide
a preliminary statement of its position with regard to the
petition and any of the issues set forth in N.H. Admin Rule
Puc 203.05(c) shall be considered; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that the Prehearing Conference
may be tape recorded unless a party, at least 5 days in
advance of the Prehearing Conference, requests a transcript,
in which case the Commission shall order a stenographic
record, pursuant to N.H. Admin. Rule Puc 203.05(d); and it
is
FURTHER ORDERED, that, immediately following the
Prehearing Conference, NHEC, the Staff of the Commission and
any
Intervenors hold a Technical Session to review the petition
and allow NHEC to provide any amendments or updates to its
filing and to propound oral data requests on the temporary
rates; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that the following procedural
schedule:
Oral Data Requests by Staff and June 10,
1998
and Intervenors on Temporary
Rates
Written Follow-up Data Requests to June 11,
1998
Temporary Rates to be faxed by
the close of business
Responses to Oral Data Requests June 19,
1998
Propounded at the 1st
Technical Session
Testimony on Temporary Rates July 2,
1998
by Staff and Intervenors
Settlement Conference on July 8,
1998
Temporary Rates
Filing of Settlement Agreement, July 10,
1998
if any
Hearing on Temporary Rates July 15,
1998
Data Requests Set #1 by Staff July 30,
1998
and Intervenors on Permanent
Rates
Company Data Responses to Set #1 August 13,
1998
Technical Session August 24 , 1998
Data Requests Set #2 by Staff September 4,
1998 and Intervenors
Company Data Responses to Set #2 September 17,
1998
Testimony by Staff and October 15 , 1998
Intervenors
Data Requests by the Company October 29,
1998
Data Responses by Staff and November 12 , 1998
Intervenors
Settlement Conference on November 19 , 1998
Permanent Rates at 10:00 A.M.
Filing of Settlement, if any November 30,
1998
Hearings, daily at 10:00 A.M. December 8,
9, 10 and 11,
1998
is established unless otherwise ordered following the
prehearing conference; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that pursuant to N.H. Admin.
Rules Puc 203.01, NHEC shall notify all persons desiring to
be heard at this hearing by publishing a copy of this Order
of Notice no later than May 15, 1998, in a newspaper with
statewide and general circulation in those portions of the
state in which operations are conducted, publication to be
documented by affidavit filed with the Commission on or
before June 10, 1998; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that pursuant to N.H. Admin.
Rules Puc 203.02, any party seeking to intervene in the
proceeding shall submit to the Commission an original and
eight copies of a Petition to Intervene with copies sent to
NHEC and the Office of the Consumer Advocate on or before
June 5, 1998, such Petition stating the facts demonstrating
how its rights, duties, privileges, immunities or other
substantial interests may be affected by the proceeding, as
required by N.H. Admin. Rule Puc 203.02 and RSA
541-A:32,I(b); and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that any party objecting to a
Petition to Intervene make said Objection on or before June
10, 1998; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that NHEC's proposed tariff,
NHPUC No. 18 - Electricity, is hereby suspended pending
further review and decision.
By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
Hampshire this twelfth day of May, 1998.
Douglas L. Patch Bruce B. Ellsworth Susan S.
Geiger
Chairman Commissioner Commissioner
Attested by:
Thomas B. Getz
Executive Director and Secretary