DR 98-005
Public Service Company of New Hampshire
1998 Conservation and Load Management Pre-Approval Filing
Order Approving Procedural Schedule
O R D E R N O. 22,868
March 10, 1998
APPEARANCES: Catherine E. Shively, Esq. for Public
Service Company of New Hampshire; David W. Marshall, Esq. for the
Conservation Law Foundation; Kenneth E. Traum for the Office of
the Consumer Advocate; and Michelle A. Caraway and James J.
Cunningham, Jr. for the Staff of the New Hampshire Public
Utilities Commission.
I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On January 30, 1998, Public Service Company of New
Hampshire (PSNH) filed with the New Hampshire Public Utilities
Commission (Commission) its 1998 Conservation and Load Management
(C&LM) Pre-Approval Filing. PSNH seeks approval for a C&LM
budget of $2,399,355 of which $117,128 represents recovery for
Lost Fixed Costs (LFC). PSNH proposes to continue the following
programs which have previously been approved by the Commission:
Residential Conservation, Energy Crafted Home, EnergyCHECK,
Energy Services and Education.
By an Order of Notice issued February 11, 1998, the
Commission scheduled a prehearing conference for February 26,
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. On February
24, 1998, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) filed a Motion to
Intervene. There were no objections to the Motion to Intervene
and the Commission granted the motion. The Office of the
Consumer Advocate (OCA) is a statutorily recognized intervenor.
At the prehearing conference, PSNH, CLF, the OCA and
Staff agreed to modify certain dates of the proposed procedural
schedule as outlined in the Order of Notice. On February 26,
1998, Staff submitted a letter to the Commission outlining the
following revised procedural schedule:
Data Requests by Staff and March 2, 1998
Intervenors
Company Data Responses March 9, 1998
Technical Session & March 16, 1998
Settlement Conference (at 9:30am)
Testimony by Parties & Staff March 19, 1998
Data Requests by Parties & Staff March 24, 1998
(By fax)
Data Responses by Parties & Staff March 27, 1998
(By fax)
Settlement Conference (at 9:00am) & March 30, 1998
Outstanding Data Responses due, if any
Filing of Settlement Agreement, if any April 2, 1998
Hearing April 9, 1998.
In accordance with the Order of Notice, PSNH, CLF, the
OCA and Staff stated their positions with regard to the filing.
PSNH stated that it seeks approval of the C&LM plan as
filed and will work with the Parties and Staff to develop a plan
that is acceptable to all involved. CLF stated that its primary
issue is with the adequacy of the funding level. The OCA is
concerned about making any changes to the currently approved
program until the Commission issues its rehearing order in
DR 96-150. Staff stated that its additional concern relates to
the incentive structures of the individual C&LM programs.
II. COMMISSION ANALYSIS
We find the revised procedural schedule to be
reasonable and will, therefore, approve it for the duration of
the proceeding. However, the Parties and Staff will be afforded
the right to request modifications to the procedural schedule
should they believe that PSNH's 1998 C&LM Program would benefit
from incorporating the Commission's directives on energy
efficiency as detailed in the rehearing order in DR 96-150.
Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby
ORDERED, that the procedural schedule delineated above
is APPROVED; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that the Conservation Law Foundation's
Motion to Intervene is GRANTED.
By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
Hampshire this tenth day of March, 1998.
Douglas L. Patch Bruce B. Ellsworth Susan S. Geiger
Chairman Commissioner Commissioner
Attested by:
Thomas B. Getz
Executive Director and Secretary