Regulatory Matters | REGULATORY MATTERS Included below is a summary of Idaho Power's most recent general rate cases and base rate changes, as well as other recent or pending notable regulatory matters and proceedings. Idaho and Oregon General Rate Cases and Base Rate Adjustments Effective January 1, 2012, Idaho Power implemented new Idaho base rates resulting from its receipt of an order from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) approving a settlement stipulation that provided for a 7.86 percent authorized rate of return on an Idaho-jurisdiction rate base of approximately $2.36 billion . The settlement stipulation resulted in a $34.0 million overall increase in Idaho Power's annual Idaho-jurisdictional base rate revenues. Neither the IPUC's order nor the settlement stipulation specified an authorized rate of return on equity. Effective March 1, 2012, Idaho Power implemented new Oregon base rates resulting from its receipt of an order from the Public Utility Commission of Oregon (OPUC) approving a settlement stipulation that provided for a $1.8 million base rate revenue increase, a return on equity of 9.9 percent , and an overall rate of return of 7.757 percent in the Oregon jurisdiction. Idaho and Oregon base rates were subsequently adjusted again in 2012, in connection with Idaho Power's completion of the Langley Gulch power plant. In June 2012, the IPUC issued an order approving a $58.1 million increase in annual Idaho-jurisdiction base rate revenues, effective July 1, 2012, for inclusion of the investment and associated costs of the plant in rates. The order also provided for a $335.9 million increase in Idaho rate base. In September 2012, the OPUC issued an order approving a $3.0 million increase in annual Oregon jurisdiction base rate revenues, effective October 1, 2012, for inclusion of the investment and associated costs of the plant in Oregon rates. In March 2014, the IPUC issued an order approving Idaho Power's application requesting an increase of approximately $106 million in the normalized or "base level" net power supply expense on a total-system basis to be used to update base rates and in the determination of the Idaho power cost adjustment (PCA) rate that became effective June 1, 2014. Approval of the order removed the Idaho-jurisdictional portion of those expenses (approximately $99 million ) from collection via the PCA mechanism and instead results in collecting that portion through base rates. Idaho Settlement Stipulation — Investment Tax Credits and Sharing Mechanism In October 2014, the IPUC issued an order approving an extension, with modifications, of the terms of a December 2011 Idaho settlement stipulation for the period from 2015 through 2019, or until the terms are otherwise modified or terminated by order of the IPUC. The provisions of the October 2014 settlement stipulation are as follows: • If Idaho Power's annual return on year-end equity in the Idaho jurisdiction (Idaho ROE) in any year is less than 9.5 percent , then Idaho Power may record additional ADITC amortization up to $25 million to help achieve a 9.5 percent Idaho ROE for that year, and may record additional ADITC amortization up to a total of $45 million over the 2015 through 2019 period. • If Idaho Power's annual Idaho ROE in any year exceeds 10.0 percent , the amount of earnings exceeding a 10.0 percent Idaho ROE and up to and including a 10.5 percent Idaho ROE will be allocated 75 percent to Idaho Power's Idaho customers as a rate reduction to be effective at the time of the subsequent year's PCA and 25 percent to Idaho Power. • If Idaho Power's annual Idaho ROE in any year exceeds 10.5 percent , the amount of earnings exceeding a 10.5 percent Idaho ROE will be allocated 50 percent to Idaho Power's Idaho customers as a rate reduction to be effective at the time of the subsequent year's PCA, 25 percent to Idaho Power's Idaho customers in the form of a reduction to the pension regulatory asset balancing account (to reduce the amount to be collected in the future from Idaho customers), and 25 percent to Idaho Power. • If the full $45 million of additional ADITC amortization contemplated by the settlement stipulation has been recorded the sharing provisions would terminate. • In the event the IPUC approves a change to Idaho Power's Idaho-jurisdictional allowed return on equity as part of a general rate case proceeding seeking a rate change effective prior to January 1, 2020, the Idaho ROE thresholds ( 9.5 percent , 10.0 percent , and 10.5 percent ) will be adjusted prospectively, prorated for intra-year rate changes. Under the October 2014 settlement stipulation, Idaho Power recorded $1.9 million of additional ADITC amortization during the first quarter of 2017, which was reversed in the second quarter of 2017 based on Idaho Power's then-current estimate of Idaho ROE for the full-year 2017. During the first six months of 2016, Idaho Power recorded $0.5 million of additional ADITC amortization which was reversed later in 2016 as actual financial results exceeded Idaho Power's early estimates. Valmy Rate Base Adjustment Settlement Stipulations In May 2017, the IPUC approved a settlement stipulation allowing accelerated depreciation and cost recovery for Idaho Power’s jointly-owned North Valmy coal-fired power plant (Valmy Plant). The settlement stipulation provides for (1) an increase in the Idaho jurisdictional levelized revenue collection of $13.3 million per year, effective June 1, 2017, with the associated cost recovery continuing through December 2028, (2) accelerated depreciation on unit 1 through 2019 and unit 2 through 2025, (3) Idaho Power to use prudent and commercially reasonable efforts to end its participation in the operation of unit 1 by the end of 2019 and unit 2 by the end of 2025, and (4) a filing no later than 2020 that would include actual and planned incremental investments in unit 2, including updated financial analysis regarding the lowest costs options for unit 2. The costs intended to be recovered by the increased revenue requirement include all current investments in both units, forecasted unit 1 investments from 2017 through 2019, and forecasted decommissioning costs for unit 1 and unit 2, offset by forecasted operation and maintenance costs savings. The settlement stipulation also contains provisions allowing certain regulatory accounting entries to fully recognize Idaho Power's annual revenue requirement for the Valmy Plant rather than the levelized cost recovery, as well as balancing accounts (recorded as regulatory assets on the consolidated balance sheets of the companies) to track differences between these amounts. Balancing accounts will also be used to track the differences between depreciation over the cost recovery period which runs through 2028 and the accelerated depreciation on unit 1 through 2019 and unit 2 through 2025. Idaho Power anticipates future filings with the IPUC that may result in periodic adjustments to rates based upon prudence reviews of capital expenditures, true-ups of actual capital expenditures and decommissioning costs to forecasted costs, true-ups of operating and maintenance expense savings, and plant closure or joint ownership and operating agreement negotiations. In June 2017, the OPUC also approved a settlement stipulation allowing for accelerated depreciation of units 1 and 2 through December 31, 2025, cost recovery of incremental Valmy Plant investments through May 31, 2017, and forecasted decommissioning costs. The settlement stipulation provides for an increase in the Oregon jurisdictional revenue requirement of $1.1 million , effective July 1, 2017, with yearly adjustments to the level of decommissioning cost recovery, if warranted, until decommissioning activities are concluded. For both the second quarter and six month periods ended June 30, 2017, the settlement stipulations increased general business revenue collections, general business revenue accruals, net depreciation expense, and income tax expense, including plant-related flow-through tax adjustments. The ongoing annual benefit to net income from the Valmy Plant settlement stipulations is expected to decline slightly each year through 2028, primarily due to the annual decline in Valmy Plant-related rate base, which is expected to be fully depreciated by December 31, 2028. Compared with Idaho Power’s estimate of what ongoing net income would have been without the settlement stipulations, the settlement stipulations increased after-tax net income for the first half of 2017 by $2.5 million , all recorded during the second quarter of 2017. Depreciation Rate Settlement Stipulations In May 2017, the IPUC and OPUC approved settlement stipulations related to revised depreciation rates for Idaho Power's electric plant in service other than the Valmy Plant, and adjusted base rates in Oregon to reflect the revised depreciation rates applied to electric plant-in-service based on balances from the most recent general rate case. These settlement stipulations provided for new depreciation rates to go into effect on June 1, 2017, with no significant resulting increase in revenue. Idaho Power Cost Adjustment Mechanisms In both its Idaho and Oregon jurisdictions, Idaho Power's power cost adjustment mechanisms address the volatility of power supply costs and provide for annual adjustments to the rates charged to its retail customers. The power cost adjustment mechanisms compare Idaho Power's actual net power supply costs (primarily fuel and purchased power less off-system sales) against net power supply costs being recovered in Idaho Power's retail rates. Under the power cost adjustment mechanisms, certain differences between actual net power supply costs incurred by Idaho Power and costs being recovered in retail rates are recorded as a deferred charge or credit on the balance sheet for future recovery or refund. The power supply costs deferred primarily result from changes in contracted power purchase prices and volumes, changes in wholesale market prices and transaction volumes, fuel prices, and the levels of Idaho Power's own generation. On May 31, 2017, the IPUC issued an order approving a $10.6 million net increase in PCA rates, effective for the 2017-2018 PCA collection period from June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018. The net increase in PCA rates was primarily due to expected higher power supply costs resulting from new PURPA power purchase agreements and higher coal-fired generation costs, combined with the effect of lower-than-expected actual hydroelectric generation for the 2016-2017 PCA year. The net increase includes an offsetting $13.0 million refund of previously collected Idaho energy efficiency rider funds. Previously, in May 2016, the IPUC issued an order approving a $17.3 million net increase in PCA rates, effective for the 2016-2017 PCA collection period from June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017. The net increase in PCA rates included the application of (a) a customer rate credit of $3.2 million for sharing with customers for the year 2015 pursuant to the terms of the October 2014 settlement stipulation described above and (b) a $4.0 million reduction due to the transfer of Idaho energy efficiency rider funds. Idaho Fixed Cost Adjustment Mechanism The Idaho jurisdiction fixed cost adjustment (FCA) mechanism is designed to remove Idaho Power’s financial disincentive to invest in energy efficiency programs by separating (or decoupling) the recovery of fixed costs from the variable kilowatt-hour charge and instead linking it to a set amount per customer. The FCA mechanism is adjusted each year to collect, or refund, the difference between the authorized fixed-cost recovery amount and the actual fixed costs recovered by Idaho Power during the year. On May 31, 2017, the IPUC issued an order approving Idaho Power's application requesting an increase of $6.9 million in the FCA from $28.1 million to $35.0 million , with new requested rates effective for the period from June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018. Previously in May 2016, the IPUC issued an order approving Idaho Power's application requesting an increase of $11.2 million in the FCA from $16.9 million to $28.1 million , with new rates effective for the period from June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017. |