BPA Reduces Credit Available to Idaho Customers

According to Rocky Mountain, the reduction in the size of the Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) Residential Exchange Credit, if approved, would increase the average monthly residential bill of a home using 800 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month by about $2.

In 2004, PacifiCorp and several other Northwest utilities entered into a five-year agreement with the BPA that establishes the credit for October 2006 through October 2011. BPA reduced the amount of the credit available to Rocky Mountain's Idaho customers by $3.8 million. Rocky Mountain passes through to customers all of the credit it receives from BPA, so changes in the credit by BPA do not increase or decrease Rocky Mountain's revenues.

For residential customers, the credit is now about 2 cents per kWh subtracted from an overall winter rate of about 8 cents per kWh and a summer rate of 10.38 cents per kWh. Approval of this application by Rocky Mountain Power would reduce the residential credit to 1.68 cents per kWh. For small-farm irrigation customers the credit is currently 3.15 cents per kWh and would be reduced to 2.64 cents per kWh.

Those wishing to submit comments must do so by no later than February 8. Comments are accepted via e-mail by accessing the Idaho Public Utilities Commission's homepage at www.puc.idaho.gov and clicking on "Comments & Questions." Fill in the case number (PAC-E-07-01) to enter comments.