R746-700-22. Additional Information for a General Rate Case Application Using a Forecasted Test Period Filed by an Electrical Corporation or a Gas Corporation  


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  •   If not already included with the application, pursuant to R746-700-20 or R746-700-21, an applicant shall also file with the Commission the following information or documents when filing a general rate case application which uses a forecasted test period. An applicant will provide an index which identifies where in the application, testimony, exhibits, documents, information, data, etc. filed with the application the applicant has responded to and complied with these R746-700-22 rule requirements. The index may be presented in testimony, as a table embedded in testimony, as an exhibit to testimony, or in any other manner so long as it is clearly identified. Contemporaneously with the filing of an application, an electrical corporation or gas corporations shall provide the following information and documents to the parties specified in R746-700-1.E.3, unless the information or document is already included in or with the application.

      A. Definitions. As used herein, the following terms shall have the indicated meanings:

      1. Time Periods. Definitions of time periods for which information is to be provided in compliance with this rule are as follows:

      a. Year: A 12-month period designated as "12 months ending Month Date, Year".

      b. Base Year (BY): The 12-month historical period ending on the ending date for the most recent periodic reported results of operations filing submitted for the public utility, or if it does not file periodic results of operations, the base period upon which the test period used in the application is developed.

      c. Test Period (TP): The 12-month period used as the test period for the general rate case application.

      d. Historical Year(s) (HY): Year(s) immediately preceding the Base Year.

      e. To Date: Up to the most recent date for which information is reasonably available to the public utility in preparing its general rate case application.

      f. Workpapers: The documents and source material used to develop the inputs to the general rate case filing. The type, nature, level of detail, format, etc. of the information compilation, schedule, document, etc. shall be reasonably comparable to that provided to parties in the public utility's prior general rate cases.

      2. Provide, Describe, etc. The terms "provide" or "describe," or terms with similar meaning, shall mean to deliver available electronic copies and/or paper copies of designated data and documents to interested persons; provided that, when necessary and appropriate, prompt arrangements may be made for review of designated data and documents at a utility location in Utah or at another mutually agreeable place. Spreadsheets and workpapers are to be provided in "live" electronic format (not PDF), i.e. models and spreadsheets are to be provided with formulas intact and input data available.

      3. Materiality. Materiality is defined as a change in requested Utah jurisdictional revenue requirement equal to or greater than 0.1 % of total state revenue requirement or $500,000, whichever is less.

      4. Model(s). The term Model(s) shall mean the major analytical software tools and spreadsheets used by the utility to develop its general rate case application. Smaller analytical tools, such as special purpose electronic spreadsheets, are not included in the definition of the term Model(s) for purposes of this rule.

      B. Revenue Requirement Information.

      1. Forecasted test period data. A comparison of the Test Period data Results of Operations (RO) to the Base Year actual, unadjusted RO and adjusted RO on both a jurisdictional and total company basis. This is to be made available in a side-by-side comparison on a consistent basis by FERC Account.

      2. Operating and Capital Budgets. A comparison of the utility's operating budget and capital budget to the actual results for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, and To Date on a total company basis. This comparison is to be at the most detailed level available and provide available explanation for material variances.

      3. Labor Costs. A comparison of budgeted labor costs and number of full-time equivalents to the actual labor costs and full-time equivalents by year for the Base Year and the prior Historical Year on a total company basis. These shall show separately, to the degree available, the direct labor costs, premiums, incentives, benefits and overhead costs. These shall show contract labor costs separately from direct labor costs, and union labor costs separate from nonunion costs. The information shall provide available explanations for material variances.

      4. Workpapers. The information shall provide the forecast workpapers (including assumptions, spreadsheets and tests).

      5. Forecasted Data - Revenue Requirement.

      a. Support and explanations for forecasted values, including Base Year starting values, adjustments made to the Base Year values and key drivers that impact the forecasts, together with supporting documents.

      b. Indices, inflation rates and escalation factors used in preparing forecasts, including supporting source documents.

      c. A revenue requirement workbook that tracks all input data beginning with the Base Year through the Test Period. This will provide summarized revenue requirement sections of the jurisdictional allocation model for the Base Year, the Test Period and any intervening year. The workbook and summaries are to include, inter alia, billing determinants, rate base and capital structure, including dollar capitalization, for the specified Years.

      d. Complete net power cost calculations for any intervening year between the Base Year and Test Period.

      6. Models. Workable versions of Models utilized in determining or projecting rate case values, with formulae intact and source data included, along with available instructions and write-ups regarding use of the Model and written descriptions of the Model and its inputs.

      C. Cost of Service Information

      1. Forecasted Data - Class Cost of Service. Class cost of service data on a Utah allocated basis under all approved jurisdictional allocation methods for the Base Year and Test Period.

      2. Forecasted Data - Rate Design. Test Period rate design data on a Utah allocated basis under all approved jurisdictional allocation methods used for reporting purposes.

      D. Miscellaneous Information

      1. Accounting - Changes. A detailed description of Material changes in accounting policies or procedures adopted by the utility since the prior general rate case or as anticipated through the end of the Test Period. This will include a detailed description of the impact of change in accounting policy or procedure on the Test Period and identify the basis of the change.

      2. Accounting - Write-offs. A detailed description of Material write-offs of assets and/or liabilities from the start of the Base Year - To Date that affect Utah revenue requirement. For each material write-off, the following will be provided:

      a. Copy of journal entry recording the write-off;

      b. Detailed description of the purpose of the write-off;

      c. Copies of studies, reports or analyses done in determining whether or not to write off the asset;

      d. Amount of the write-off and identification of the accounts charged on a total Company and a Utah jurisdictional basis; and

      e. Amount included in the projected Test Period for write-offs, if any, on a total Company and a Utah jurisdictional basis, by account.

      3. Affiliates - Organizational Charts. For the Base Year and Test Period and continuing To Date, the affiliates organization chart for the utility including a clear indication of affiliates, parent companies, divisions and subsidiaries indicating their regulatory status.

      4. Affiliates. A detailed description of corporate restructurings and changes in affiliate relationships since the filing of the prior general rate case and also describe changes in the corporate and affiliate relationships between the Base Year and the end of the Test Period reflected in the filing.

      5. Affiliates. A copy of Material new or Materially modified contracts or agreements entered into since the filing of the prior general rate case, including attachments thereto, if relevant to the costs the utility seeks to recover from Utah ratepayers through Utah regulatory operations or costs allocated or directly charged to Utah regulated operations included in the general rate case application, between the utility and/or its parent company and affiliated companies for services and/or goods rendered between or among them. This is to include a list of active contracts unless already provided in the most recent Affiliate Interest Report.

      6. Affiliates. A copy of cost allocation manuals and/or policies and procedures that set forth the detailed cost allocation methodology and/or pricing methodology used to charge costs between affiliates that have changed since the filing of the prior general rate case.

      7. Audit - Financial. A copy of each adjusting journal entry made in response to the utility's independent auditors' final recommendations in their most recent audit of the utility. Supporting documentation will be included. The information will also identify and provide adjusting journal entries included in the independent auditors' final recommendations that were not accepted by or made by the utility, along with a description of why the adjustment was not accepted or made.

      8. Audit - Financial. A copy of management letters received from the utility's independent auditors or responses to those management letters for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and the period To Date.

      9. Audit - Financial Audit Workpapers. If access to audit workpapers is allowed by the utility's independent auditor, the utility will coordinate review of the financial audit workpapers for the most recent completed financial audit conducted by the utility's independent auditors at a mutually agreed upon location. If access to workpapers is not allowed by the independent auditor, the utility will coordinate the review of the most recent quarterly review conducted by the utility's independent external auditors prepared for the utility's board of directors.

      10. Audits - Internal. A listing of internal audits conducted by or for the utility or its parent company for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and To Date if relevant to the costs the utility seeks to recover from Utah ratepayers through Utah regulatory operations or the costs allocated or directly charged to Utah regulated operations included in the general rate case application. Notice of Internal Audit reports completed during the pendency of the case will be provided upon completion to all parties participating in the case.

      11. Board of Directors - Meeting Minutes. The Board of Directors' meeting minutes for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and To Date for the utility and the parent company if relevant to the costs the utility seeks to recover from Utah ratepayers through Utah regulatory operations or the costs allocated or directly charged to Utah regulated operations included in general rate case filings for the same period.

      12. Budget. Complete copies of detailed annual operating and capital budgets for the Base Year through the end of the Test Period.

      13. Budget. Copies of operating and capital budget instructions and directives provided to employees, including assumptions, directives, manuals, policies and procedures, timelines, and descriptions of budget procedures for the budget or forecast for the Test Period and To Date.

      14. Budgets - Operating Plans. If available, copies of written operating plans that describe the utility's goals and objectives for the Base Year through the end of the Test Period.

      15. Budget - Variance. A complete copy of quantitative and narrative monthly, quarterly and annual comparisons of operating and capital budgets to actual expenditures for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, and for the period from the Base Year To Date.

      16. Cost of Capital - Debt Expense. The currently forecasted financings for the next three years.

      17. Cost of Capital - Debt Expense. The monthly balance of short-term debt and monthly short-term debt cost rates, for the Base Year, the prior two Historical Years and To Date.

      18. Cost of Capital. Copies of the most recent bond rating agencies reports on the Company.

      19. Employee Costs. A breakdown of the total amount of gross payroll and employee benefit costs (by benefit type) for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and through the end of the Test Period between amounts expensed and amounts capitalized and provide the percentage of payroll and employee benefits (by benefit type) charged to expense for each Year.

      20. For the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, To Date and for the Test Period, the amount of overtime, the amount of premium pay, the amount of other salary/labor costs and the amount of incentive compensation in total and expensed for each.

      21. Employee Costs. A list of compensation and benefit studies the utility has for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and To Date and indicate which of the studies were used (if any) in projecting the compensation and employee benefit costs for the Test Period.

      22. Employee Costs - Employee Levels. Describe, in detail, Material employee reductions, employee severance plans, or early retirement programs conducted or anticipated by the utility during the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, and To Date and as projected through the end of the Test Period that are and are not reflected in the application. If anticipated, but not reflected in the application, explain why they are not included. This should provide information on major plans or programs beyond cost management efforts undertaken in the normal course of business. This should include, but not be limited to, a detailed description of the plan, number of employees offered or projected to be offered early retirement or severance, number of employees accepting or projected to accept early retirement or severance, projected cost savings and costs associated with the program. For costs incurred, identify the amounts, by FERC account, and the dates the entries were booked.

      23. Employee Costs - Employee Level. Separate lists of the budgeted and the actual number of employees (where available), by month, for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, the Test Period and To Date. If the labor force levels are other than full-time equivalent positions, provide a separate listing stated in terms of full-time equivalent positions.

      24. Employee Costs - Wages and Salaries Levels. The actual percentage of increases in salaries and wages for exempt, non-exempt and union employees for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, Test Period and To Date.

      25. Employee Costs - Incentive Plans. Complete copies of bonus programs or incentive award programs in effect for the utility for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, the Test Period and To Date. Identify incentive and bonus program expenses incurred in the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, the Test Period and To Date and identify the amounts included in the Test Period. Identify the accounts charged. Identify incentive and bonus program expenses charged or allocated to the utility from affiliates or the parent company in the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, the Test Period and To Date.

      26. Employee Costs - Benefits. A listing of health and other benefits received by employees during the Base Year. Provide a detailed description of changes to employee benefits occurring subsequent to the Base Year To Date and anticipated future changes through the end of the Test Period that are reflected in the filing.

      27. Employee Costs - Pensions. The two most recent pension actuarial reports prepared for the utilty.

      28. Employee Costs - Post Retirement Benefits Other Than Pensions (PBOP). The two most recent PBOP actuarial reports prepared for the utility.

      29. Employee Costs - Pensions and Post Retirement Benefits Other Than Pensions (PBOP). The list of assumptions used by the utility and its actuaries regarding the pension and PBOP costs for the Test Period that are included in the filing.

      30. Operation, Maintenance, Administrative and General (OMAG) Expenses - Other - Contributions. For the Base Year and the Test Period, a list of contributions for charitable and political purposes, if any, included in accounts other than below the line. Indicate the amount of the expenditure, the recipient of the contribution, and the specific account in which the expense is included in the filing. Also identify for the Base Year and the Test Period the amounts of contributions for charitable and political purposes charged to the utility from affiliates in accounts other than below the line accounts.

      31. OMAG Expenses - Advertising. For the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and the Test Period the amount of advertising expense, by account, by type of advertising (i.e., informational, instructional, promotional).

      32. OMAG Expenses - Dues, Industry Associations. The Material amounts included in the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and the Test Period for above-the-line payments to industry associations. Identify the organization/association name and amounts, along with the account in which the costs are included in the filing. If any of the dues or other amounts paid to the organizations/associations go toward lobbying and public relations efforts and are recorded in above-the-line accounts, provide the associated amounts included in the above-the-line accounts whether Material in magnitude or not.

      33. OMAG Expenses - Outside Services Expense. An itemization of Material outside services expenses included in FERC account 923 for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and the Test Period.

      34. OMAG Expense - Injuries and Damages. The amount of injuries and damages expense for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, the Test Period and To Date.

      35. OMAG Expense - Insurance. The amount of insurance expense, by insurance type (i.e., property insurance, liability insurance, workers compensation, directors and officers liability insurance, etc.) for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and the Test Period and identify the accounts the associated costs are included in.

      36. OMAG Expense - Insurance. For insurance coverage for which the utility is self-insured, a description of that self insurance, a description of how it is accounted for in the utility's books and records and a description of activity for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and the Test Period.

      37. OMAG Expense - Legal Settlements. A list of Material amounts included in the Base Year and the Test Period (on a direct charge basis, affiliate billing, or allocation) that are the result of the settlement of lawsuits or other legal action.

      38. OMAG - Uncollectibles - Bad Debt Reserve. For the Base Year, the prior Historical Year and the Test Period the beginning bad debt reserve balance, the amount written off, the recoveries, the reserve adjustment, other charges or credits, and the ending reserve balance. For the same periods, provide the total amount of retail revenue from retail sales and total retail bad debt expense.

      39. OMAG - Uncollectibles. A detailed description of changes in the utility's collection policies or write-off policies since the filing of the prior general rate case.

      40. OMAG - Cost-saving Programs. A list and detailed description of cost-saving or cost increasing programs and initiatives implemented during the Base Year, To Date, and included in the Test Period. This should provide information on major plans or programs beyond efforts undertaken in the normal course of business and having a Material impact.

      41. Financial - Strategic Plans. Copies of completed strategic plans and the most recent plan approved by the Board of Directors for the utility and the plan that was utilized at the time of and in the preparation of its application, if different.

      42. Penalties and Fines. A list of penalties and fines in the Base Year and the Test Period and indicate in which accounts the associated amounts are included.

      43. Rate Base - Working Capital. A complete copy of the lead/lag study, with supporting workpapers, used to compute cash working capital for the utility's application.

      44. Reserve Accounts. Information on whether or not the utility maintains reserve accounts (e.g., an injuries and damages reserve account). If so, provide the monthly balances in reserve accounts for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, the Test Period and To Date. This listing should include the monthly debits and credits to the reserve accounts. Also, provide the amount included in the Base Year and the projected Test Period expenses, by account, for building-up the reserve balances.

      45. Revenues: Regulated Retail Sales. Provide by customer class, by month, the number of customers, actual usage, and normalized usage for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, the Test Period and To Date.

      46. Revenues - Other. Provide on a total company and a Utah jurisdictional basis, for the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, the Test Period and To Date the amount of other nonregulated-retail-sales revenues by revenue type.

      47. Sales of Property. For the Base Year, the prior Historical Year, the Test Period and To Date, information showing whether the utility sold property, in which the proceeds for a property, which alone, or for multiple properties, which in the aggregate, would be Material. If so, for each such sale identify the property sold; whether, when, and in what manner it was included in rate base; show details of how the gain or loss was calculated; indicate when the sale occurred; and explain how and whether the utility is treating such gain or loss in its application. For sales in which the proceeds would be Material, individually or in the aggregate, provide a list of any properties currently offered for sale and those projected to be offered for sale through the end of the Test Period. The property sales information may be limited to sales of property that had been or are included in Utah rates while in service.

      48. Taxes: Income. A list of and provide copies or make available for review, subject to R746-1-601 through 605, an appropriate protective order, confidentiality agreement, or other confidentiality protective arrangement, depending on specific content, revenue ruling requests, IRS responses, and correspondence between the utility and the IRS since the filing of the prior rate case.

      49. Taxes: Income. Provide copies or make available for review, subject to R746-1-601 through 605, an appropriate protective order, confidentiality agreement, or other confidentiality protective arrangement, copies of the most recent State and Federal income tax returns in which the utility participated.

      50. Taxes: Income. Provide a copy of the current tax sharing agreement in which the utility participates.