1.
The rates to be charged for the supply of power and energy to its retail
customer, Newfoundland Power (“NP”), its Industrial Customers and all of its
Rural Customers as of January 1, 2002.
2.
The rules and regulations applicable to the supply of electricity to its
Rural Customers;
3.
The contracts setting out the terms and conditions for the supply of
electricity to its Industrial Customers;
4.
The 2002 Capital Budget; and
5.
Other such matters as may appear just and reasonable upon the hearing of
this application.
Specifically the
Applicant is requesting an Order of the Board:
(1)
Fixing and determining the 2002 rate base of the Applicant at
$1,370,471,000;
(2)
Determining a just and reasonable rate of return for 2002 on average
rate base at 7.4%
(3)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the rate of 48.0 mills/kWh
to be charged NP;
(4)
Increasing the Rate Stabilization Plan (“RSP”) cap for NP to $100
million;
(5)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the rate of $7.01 per kW
per month demand charge and an energy charge of 23.09 mills per kWh to be
charged Island Industrial Customers for firm power and energy, plus the annual
specifically assigned charge as follows:
Abitibi-Consolidated
Inc. (Grand Falls) $107,549
Abitibi-Consolidated
Inc. (Stephenville) 83,691
Corner Brook Pulp and
Paper Limited 73,444
North Atlantic Refining
Limited 154,097
(6)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the rate for non-firm
service to Industrial Customers;
(7)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the rate of 6.95 mills per
kWh as a wheeling fee to be charged Abitibi-Consolidated Inc.;
(8)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the firming up charge of
8.76 mills per kWh for secondary energy supplied by Corner Brook Pulp and Paper
Limited to the Applicant and delivered as firm power and energy to NP;
(9)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the continuation of the
existing policy for setting rates charged Island Interconnected Rural and
L’Anse au Loup System Customers;
(10)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the continuation of the
existing policy for setting the rates charged Isolated Rural System Customers,
with the exception of Government Departments and Agencies;
(11)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the rates for Government
Departments and Agencies;
(12)
Approving the rates for street and area lighting in Rural Isolated and
Rural Interconnected Systems;
(13)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the rates for Labrador
Interconnected System Customers;
(14)
Approving, pursuant to Section 70 of the Act, the Rules and Regulations
applicable to providing service to Rural Customers;
(15)
Approving, pursuant to Section 71 of the Act, the contracts with
Industrial Customers;
(16)
Approving, pursuant to Section 41 (3) (a) of the Act, the construction
or purchase of improvements of
$48,037,000 as set out in Section A of the 2002 Capital Budget
Application;
(17)
Approving, pursuant to Section 41 (3) (b) of the Act, the leases for
2002 of $ 1,795,564 as set out in
Section D of the 2002 Capital Budget Application;
(18)
Approving the changes proposed in the Applicant’s depreciation policies;
(19)
Determining the disposition of the Wabush surplus;
(20)
Consolidating this Application with the Application related to
Industrial Rates in which Order No. P.U. 25 (2000-2001) was issued; and
(21)
Granting such alternative, additional or further relief as the Board
shall consider fit and proper in the circumstances.
AND TAKE NOTICE that any or all
customers of the Applicant, including all rate class customers of Newfoundland
Power Inc., the Island Industrial Customers and all Newfoundland and Labrador
Rural Customers may be affected by outcome of the proposed application.
AND FURTHER TAKE
NOTICE the Board has determined that it will hold a pre-hearing conference into
the matter, which shall begin at 9:30 a.m. on July 5, 2001 in the Board’s
Hearing Room, 2nd Floor, Prince Charles Building, 120 Torbay Road,
St. John’s, NF.
The primary objectives of
the pre-hearing conference will be to:
1.
Identify intervenors and other interested
parties;
2.
Provide focus to the issues;
3.
Set specific dates and locations for public
hearings, which may include setting of dates in Labrador and other areas
serviced by Hydro whose customers may be affected by the application;
4.
Establish procedures to be followed during the
hearing; and
5.
Finalize a timetable for the filing of
evidence, information requests, and other submissions to the Board.
HOW TO SEE THE
APPLICATION:
Copies of the
Application are available for public viewing by contacting the Board between
the hours of 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the offices of
the Board or upon request from the Board Secretary by telephone at (709)
726-8600.
The Application can
also be viewed at the Applicant’s regional offices throughout the Province.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
The Board will
follow the procedures as set out in Newfoundland Regulation 39/96 (“the
Regulations”) with respect to filing of evidence, requests for information, and
other matters relating to the pre-hearing conference.
Any person wishing
to be made a party to the hearing must apply by way of an Intervenor=s Submission with the Board, as set out in section 9
of the Regulations.
The submission
shall:
a) be
signed or executed by the intervenor or an agent for the intervenor;
b) contain
a concise statement of
i)
the intervenor’s interest in the
matter,
ii)
the disposition of the proceedings
which the intervenor advocates, if any,
iii)
the facts the intervenor proposes to
show in evidence,
iv)
the reasons why the intervenor
believes the board should decide in the manner advocated,
v)
the qualifications of expert
witnesses, if any, whose opinions are to be relied upon, and
vi)
a list of that information and support
documents that may be useful in explaining the intervenor’s representation;
c) if the intervenor proposes to confine
the representation to the cross examination of an argument at the public
hearing, so state; and
d) be endorsed with the name, address,
telephone and fax numbers of the intervenor or the intervenor’s agent to whom
communication may be sent.
Any
interested person who does not wish to intervene in the proceeding and thus not
be considered a party, but who wishes to communicate their views to the Board,
may communicate their views by filing a letter of comment. The letter of comment must state the nature
of the person’s interest in the proceeding and the person’s views regarding the
proceeding, together with any relevant information that may be useful in
explaining or supporting those views.
Interested
persons who do not wish to intervene or file a letter of comment but wish to
express their views to the Board may be afforded the opportunity to make an
oral presentation to the Board during public participation days. Procedures on
how to participate and setting of dates will be discussed at the pre-hearing
conference.
The following timetable should be followed for the
filing of documentation:
DEADLINES FOR
FILING ON OR BEFORE
1. Intervenors’ submission
and supporting
documentation: 12
Noon, Tuesday, July 3, 2001
2. Letters of Comment 12 Noon, Tuesday,
July 3, 2001
3. Request for Oral Presentations 12 Noon, Tuesday, July 3, 2001
Copies of all Intervenors’ Submissions and supporting
documents must be provided to all parties involved in this matter. A list of
all parties upon whom documents are to be served is available by contacting the
Board Secretary.
Intervenors’ Submissions and/or Letters of Comment may be
forwarded to the attention of the Board Secretary:
Directly: Suite
E210, Prince Charles Building, 120 Torbay Road, St. John’s.
By mail: P.O.
Box 21040, St. John’s, NF, A1A 5B2.
By facsimile: 709-726-9604
By e-mail: ito@pub.nf.ca
For any further information or clarification of the
Board’s proceedings, please contact the Board Secretary at (709)
726-8600.
Copies of the Board’s legislation and regulations are
available from the office of the Board Secretary or can be viewed on the
Board’s web-site at www.pub.nf.ca
Dated at St. John=s,
Newfoundland, this 14th day of June 2001.
Cheryl Blundon
Board Secretary
