NOTICE OF JOINT APPLICATION OF UTILITY TRANSFER

The REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA (Commission) gives notice that on October 14, 2016, the City and Borough of Yakutat (Borough) and Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AVEC) filed a joint application to transfer the Borough’s Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity No. 53 to AVEC for the provision of electric public utility service in the area of Yakutat, Alaska. Docket No. U-16-084 was opened to address this matter.

AVEC is a non-profit, member-owned electric cooperative corporation that currently provides service to 56 rural Alaska communities. The application states that AVEC will purchase the assets of the Borough and of Yakutat Power Inc. that are used by the Borough in the provision of electric utility service. The assets to be acquired include the Borough and Yakutat Power Inc.’s electric generation, distribution, and general plan facilities used in connection with its electric utility operations.

The application states that if the application is approved, AVEC will revise the Borough’s base rate structure to provide GS-1 Small Power, GS-2 Large Power, and GS-2 Interruptible customer classes. The application states that if approved, the revised base rate structure will either maintain or reduce rates for most residential customers. The application states that if the application is approved, the rates as presented in this filing will not be raised for five years. For all other terms and conditions of service, AVEC will follow the AVEC Tariff. Like the other areas it serves, AVEC will charge Yakutat customers a separate cost of power adjustment. These provisions will be incorporated into AVEC’s current unregulated tariff and will apply to customers in Yakutat if the application is approved.

The Borough is exempt from economic regulation by the Commission pursuant to AS 42.05.711(b). AVEC is exempt from economic regulation by the Commission pursuant to AS 42.05.711(h). Economic regulation means regulation of matters concerning a utility’s rates and charges, quality of service, management practices, and customer complaints. Because AVEC is exempt from economic regulation, the Commission has no jurisdiction over these aspects of AVEC’s electric utility service.

No motions for waiver or petitions for confidentiality were filed with this application. The Commission has not assessed the completeness of the application. The Commission may determine whether the application is complete by November 7, 2016.

You may obtain information about this application by contacting Dean D. Thompson, Attorney for AVEC, at Kemppel, Huffman and Ellis, P.C., 255 East Fireweed Lane, Suite 200, Anchorage, AK 99703; phone: (907) 277-1604. The complete filing is also available for inspection at the Commission’s office at
701 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99501; phone: (907) 276-6222, or may be viewed at the Commission’s website at http://rca.alaska.gov by typing Docket No. “U-16-084” in the Find the Matter search box.

To comment on this application, please file your comments by 5:00 p.m., November 4, 2016, at the Commission’s address given above or via our website at:

            https://rca.alaska.gov/RCAWeb/WhatsNew/PublicNoticesComments.aspx .

Please reference Docket No. U-16-084 and include a statement that you have filed a copy of the comments with Dean Thompson at the address given above.

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 October 28, 2016.

DATED at Anchorage, Alaska, this 21st day of October 2016.

                                                     REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA

                                                     Robert M. Pickett
                                                           Chairman