Public Notice...

Public Notice...

PUBLIC NOTICE

Pursuant to the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act and the Wyoming Public Service Commission’s (Commission) Rules and Regulations, notice is hereby given of the Application of Rocky Mountain Power (RMP or the Company) for authority to reduce the Carbon Capture Compliance Charge (Schedule 198) from 0.30% to 0.12% per month, and find that the costs incurred from 2022 through August 2024, pursuant to Wyoming Statutes §§ 37-18-101 and 37-18-102, and the Commission’s rules regarding low-carbon portfolio standards (collectively, HB 200 requirements) were prudently incurred. 

1. RMP is a division of PacifiCorp, an Oregon Corporation, engaged in the business of supplying electric utility service to customers throughout its six-state service territory, including Wyoming. RMP is a public utility subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction. Wyo. Stat. §§37-1-101(a)(vi)(C) and 37-2-112.

2. On October 1, 2024, RMP filed an Application to reduce the Schedule 198 rate from 0.30% to 0.12% per month on an interim basis, beginning January 1, 2025. Schedule 198 is a balancing account mechanism that tracks incremental costs to comply with HB 200 requirements, and revenues collected through a monthly carbon capture compliance surcharge that is based on forecasted costs. RMP requests the decrease as the projected approximate $1.0 million in annual revenue, in addition to the proposed Schedule 198 ending balance, would provide adequate revenue for future investigations into the economic and technical feasibility of carbon capture at Jim Bridger Units 3 and 4. 

3. RMP states in its Application that Schedule 198 has collected $3.139 million in revenue and $556,103.33 in deferred costs, an over collection of $2.68 million. RMP requests that costs incurred from January 2022 through August 2024 to comply with the HB 200 requirements, totaling approximately $556,103.33, be found to be prudently incurred. These costs include consultant fees and internal travel expenses for developing and submitting the initial plan, the first update to the initial plan, and the final plan; conducting the Request for Proposals (RFP), and Request for Information (RFI) processes, review of the RFP results; and developing the Jim Bridger FEED study scope of work.

4. This is not a complete description of the Application. Interested persons may inspect it at the Commission’s office or online at: https://dms.wyo.gov/external/publicusers.aspx (Enter Record No. 17694).

5. Anyone wishing to file a statement, intervention petition, protest or request for a public hearing in this matter must do so in writing filed with the Commission on or before November 8, 2024. Any intervention request filed with the Commission shall set forth the grounds of the proposed intervention or request for hearing as well as the position and the interest of the petitioner in this proceeding. Please be sure to mention Docket No. 20000-672-ET-24 in all correspondence with the Commission.

6. If you wish to intervene in this matter or request a public hearing which you will attend and you require reasonable accommodation for a disability, call the Commission at (307) 777-7427 or write to the Commission, 2515 Warren Avenue, Suite 300, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002. Communications-impaired persons may contact the Commission through Wyoming Relay at 711.

DATED: October 9, 2024

Publish: October 16 & 23, 2024 3117