DR 98-139
Public Service Company of New Hampshire
Special Contract Service Rates
Order Approving Scope and Proposed Procedural Schedule
O R D E R N O. 23,072
December 1, 1998
This proceeding was initiated by PSNH's May 31, 1998
filing to modify its tariff to amend certain special contracts.
The filing was made by PSNH in order to ensure that customers
taking service under special contracts tied to the "BA" component
of PSNH's Fuel and Purchased Power Adjustment Clause (FPPAC)
would not realize a rate increase due to the increase in the
FPPAC BA approved by the Commission in Order No. 22,946 issued on
May 29, 1998. PSNH was allowed to continue to charge customers
on a temporary basis the BA component in effect prior to the
issuance of Order No. 22,946. The Commission issued an Order of
Notice in this proceeding on July 31, 1998.
On November 2, 1998, the Executive Director of the New
Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (Commission) issued a
letter which expressed the Commission's concern that the scope of
the proceeding had exceeded the proposed modifications to the
Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) tariff and that
the Commission had, therefore, determined that a hearing should
be held on November 13, 1998 to examine the proper scope of the
proceeding. At the hearing, PSNH stated that the parties had met
five times in an effort to resolve the BA problem for special
contract customers and that the parties and Staff had agreed upon
a framework for a stipulation which would include a contract
amendment to the 34 special contract customers affected by the
change in the FPPAC BA. PSNH indicated that it would file the
stipulation and supporting testimony on December 4, 1998.
Intervenor and Staff testimony would be filed on December 14,
1998, and a hearing would be held on December 22, 1998 at 10:00
a.m.
PSNH stated that the stipulation would keep the FPPAC
BA at 4.955 cents per kWh, the FPPAC BA in effect before the June
1, 1998 change in FPPAC and the level currently included in
PSNH's temporary tariff amendment. In addition, PSNH would keep
the special contract FPPAC rate for these customers constant at
the currently effective rate of 0.383 cents per kWh. Both the
FPPAC BA of 4.955 cents per kWh and the FPPAC rate of 0.383 cents
per kWh would remain effective until the earlier of the contract
termination date or the date that retail choice was available to
all customers. The stipulation would not address what changes to
the special contracts would be made at that time. PSNH indicated
that it will treat the special contract customers as if they paid
the full FPPAC BA and FPPAC rate should the FPPAC rate change
from the currently annual effective rate of 0.383 cents per kWh.
Based on representations from PSNH at the hearing
concerning the limited nature of the anticipated stipulation and
contract amendment, we will approve the proposed procedural
schedule.
Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby
ORDERED, that Public Service Company of New Hampshire
file the stipulation and contract amendments by December 4, 1998
and that any intervenor or Staff testimony be filed no later than
December 14, 1998; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that a hearing on the merits be held
at the Commission on December 22, 1998 at 1:30 p.m., and
continuing to Wednesday, December 23, 1998 as necessary; and it
is
FURTHER ORDERED, that the late filed motions to
intervene by Timken Aerospace and Super Precision Bearings,
Textron Automotive Company, Portland Pipeline Corporation,
Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., Summit Packaging Systems, Inc.,
American Tissue Mills of New Hampshire, Inc., Hitchiner
Manufacturing Company, and Nashua Corporation are GRANTED.
By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
Hampshire this first day of December, 1998.
Douglas L. Patch Susan S. Geiger Nancy Brockway
Chairman Commissioner Commissioner
Attested by:
Thomas B. Getz
Executive Director and Secretary