Notice of Utility Tariff Filing
The REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA (Commission) gives notice that Homer Electric Association, Inc. (HEA), filed tariff revision TA375-32, seeking to revise the rules in its tariff governing new service extensions as well as the following forms: Application for New/Rework of Service, Construction Agreement, and Member Constructed Extensions.
With TA375-32, HEA proposes numerous revisions to clarify its policies regarding service extensions, these revisions include:
- Revising Section 6.1(a)(2) – Application for Service Extension to provide that each service extension will be required to have its own application and Design and Engineering Agreement form and require payment of the Design and Engineering Fee.
- Revising Section 6.1(f) – Hazards, Obstructions and Violations to state that no structure shall be constructed or fill added or taken away within an HEA easement without HEA’s approval.
- Revising subsection (1) of Section 6.1(j) – Secondary Service Credit to provide that the utility may waive the definition of a permanent foundation in determining if a secondary service extension is eligible for a secondary service credit.
- Deleting subsections (2) and (3) of Section 6.1(k) – applying the Secondary Service Credit. These subsections discuss the application of the Three Phase Secondary Service Credit.
- Revising Section 6.5(d) – After Construction to be titled “After Construction, Steps to Project Completeness and Acceptance.” Additional changes to this section include language to: allow additional documentation to be used to show that there are no liens on the service extension; clarify the estimated construction cost used to calculate an Applicant’s maintenance bond, letter of credit, escrow account or cash advance to warranty that the facilities will perform satisfactorily for one year after being energized; clarifying when repairs must be made after a failed final inspection and that it is the Applicant’s responsibility to bear the costs of such repairs; and clarifying that the maintenance bond, letter of credit, escrow account, or cash advance will be used to reimburse HEA for any costs from repairs during the first year after an extension has been energized.
- Revising Section 6.5(f) – Cost Responsibility to state that Applicants must submit to HEA documentation which is sufficiently detailed and substantiated to undergo the same level of scrutiny, review and audit required of similar plant assets owned by HEA. Additionally, HEA proposes revising the deadline for when such documentation must be provided from six months after HEA accepts the service extension to three months after HEA accepts the service extension.
- Revising Section 6.5(h) – Cost Responsibility to state that HEA will refund the Applicant the lesser of the actual construction costs or the Secondary Service Credit within ninety days of HEA’s acceptance of proper financial documentation for the construction of the Service Extension.
- Revising the Application for New/Rework of Service, Construction Agreement, and Member Constructed Extensions to reflect HEA’s current tariff and to remove unnecessary fields.
This notice does not contain every pertinent revision or request associated with TA375-32. The Commission may approve a rate or classification which varies from that proposed. You may obtain more information about this filing by contacting J.D. Draves, Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Rate Design, at HEA at 3977 Lake Street, Homer, AK 99603; phone: (907) 235-3325. The complete filing is also available for inspection at the Commission's office, at 701 West Eighth Avenue, Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99501; phone: (907) 276-6222, or may be viewed on the Commission’s website at http://rca.alaska.gov by typing “TA375-32” in the Find a Matter search box.
To comment on this filing, please file your comments by 5:00 p.m., May 15, 2015, at either the Commission address given above or at its website:
https://rca.alaska.gov/RCAWeb/WhatsNew/PublicNoticesComments.aspx
Please reference TA375-32 and include a statement that you have filed a copy of the comments with HEA at its address given above or by email at jdraves@homerelectric.com.
Individuals or groups of people with disabilities, who require special accommodations, auxiliary aids or service, or alternative communication formats, please contact Joyce McGowan at (907) 276-6222, toll-free at 1-800-390-2782, or TTY (907) 276-4533 or send a request via electronic mail to rca.mail@alaska.gov by May 8, 2015.
DATED at Anchorage, Alaska, this 20th day of April, 2015.
REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA
James A. Keen
Engineering Section Manager