Public Notice...

PUBLIC NOTICE

Pursuant to the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act and the Wyoming Public Service Commission’s (Commission) Procedural Rules and Special Regulations, notice is hereby given of the Application of Rocky Mountain Power (RMP or the Company) for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) and nontraditional ratemaking for wind and transmission facilities, as more fully described below:

RMP is a public utility, as defined in Wyo. Stat. §37-1- 101(a)(vi)(C), providing retail electric public utility service under CPCNs issued by the Commission. RMP is subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction pursuant to Wyo. Stat. §37-2-112.

On June 30, 2017, the Company submitted an Application together with testimony, and exhibits requesting the Commission grant CPCNs to construct, or approval to acquire, four new Wyoming wind resources with a total capacity of 860 megawatts (MW) (collectively called the Wind Projects).

RMP also requests the Commission grant CPCNs to construct:

[i] An 140-mile, 500 kV transmission line including construction of the new Aeolus substation near Medicine Bow, Wyoming, and construction of the new Anticline substation near the Jim Bridger power plant located near Point of Rocks, Wyoming;

[ii] A five-mile, 345 kV transmission line running from the proposed Anticline substation to the existing Jim Bridger substation, which includes modifications to the Jim Bridger substation to allow termination of the new 345 kV line;

[iii] Installation of a voltage control device at the Latham substation;

[iv] A new 1 6-mile, 230 kV transmission line mnning from the Company’ s existing Shirley Basin substation to the proposed Aeolus substation, including modifications to the Shirley Basin substation;

[v] Reconstruction of four miles of an existing 230 kV transmission line between the proposed Aeolus substation and the existing Freezeout substation, including modifications to the Freezeout substation; and,

[vi] Reconstruction of 14-miles of an existing 230kV transmission line between the Freezeout substation and the existing Standpipe substation, including modifications to the Standpipe substation (collectively called the Transmission Projects).

According to RMP, the proposed projects are a time-limited opportunity to obtain costeffective generation and constmct necessary transmission facilities with minimal impact on customer rates. The Company states that the Transmission Projects are necessary to relieve existing congestion and will enable interconnection and integration of the proposed Wind Projects into the Company’s transmission system. The proposed Wind Projects, net of federal wind production tax credits (PTCs) benefits, when combined with the Transmission Projects, are expected to provide economic benefits for RMP’s customers. RMP states that the time sensitive projects required that the new Wind Projects and Transmission Projects achieve commercial operation by the end of 2020 to fully achieve the benefits of the PTCs.

In addition, RMP also requests the Commission approve the Company’s proposed ratemaking treatment under Wyo. Stat. § 3 7-2-121 for the Wind and Transmission Projects which are expected to cost approximately $2 Billion. The Company also requests approval of its proposed ratemaking treatment for the investment in the Wind and Transmission Projects, in accordance with W.S. Eg 3 7-2-121. The Company proposes to match the costs and benefits of the new resources through a new Resource Tracking Mechanism (“RTM”), as detailed in proposed Schedule 97B until the full costs and benefits are reflected in base rates. The Company is seeking approval through this filing that the decision to construct the Wind and Transmission Projects is reasonable, pmdent, and in the public interest. The Company requests that if the Commission makes this finding in this proceeding, parties will not be able to challenge RMP’s prudence or recovery of actual costs associated with the Wind and Transmission in any future Wyoming rate case, unless the actual costs of constmction exceed the estimated costs of $2 Billion presented in this Application, or if there is evidence of mismanagement.

This is not a complete description of RMP’s Application. Interested persons may inspect the entire Application at RMP’s Wyoming offices and at the Commission’s offices in Cheyemie, Wyoming, during regular business hours. The Application may also be reviewed on line at http ://www.pacifieorp.com.

Anyone desiring to file a public comment, statement, protest, intervention petition or request for a public hearing in this matter must file with the Commission in writing on or before August 14, 2017. 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.

If you wish to intervene in this matter or request a public hearing that you will attend, or you wish to file a public comment, statement, or protest, and you require reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the Commission at (307) 777-7427, or write to the Commission at 2515 Warren Avenue, Suite 300, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002, to make arrangements. Communications impaired persons may also contact the Commission by accessing Wyoming Relay at 711 . Please mention Docket No. 20000-520-EA- 17 (Record No. 1 478 l ) in your communications.

Dated: July 17, 2017.

Publish: July 27 & August 3, 2017 3319