R746-700-40. Information for a General Rate Case Application for a Telecommunications Corporation  


Latest version.
  • An applicant submitting a general rate case application shall provide the following information with the application, on a total company and Utah jurisdictional basis using Commission approved allocation methods. 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 R746-700-40 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.

    A. General Information

    1. Historical results of operations information consisting of actual, unadjusted results of operations, including all regulated costs and revenues, for an historical 12-month period used as a basis for the test period.

    2. Adjusted results of operations for the same period. These adjustments shall include, but are not limited to, normalization adjustments, annualization adjustments, accounting adjustments, adjustments to reflect prior Utah regulatory decisions and policies made by the Commission with respect to any item or matter (including those which are not supported or advocated by the applicant for use in the general rate case) contained in the application.

    3. Description and details for all additional adjustments necessary to arrive at the test period used in the general rate case application.

    4. A description of any significant changes in accounting policies or procedures for the 12-month period prior to the historical period and any subsequent accounting changes through the date of the general rate case application and, if a future test period is used, any future changes included in a future test period, along with their impact on the filing. Significant changes for this purpose are anything referenced or that would be referenced in footnotes of financial statements or auditor's reports.

    5. Information giving a fully referenced Part 64 and, where available, a Part 36 allocation. If no Part 36 allocation information is available, the utility shall provide an alternative permitting comparable cost of service allocations. Fully referenced means that sources of all total amounts are indicated and that source documents are included in the filed information. The names and sources of allocators to determine jurisdictional or non regulated portions shall be included in lines with the allocated amounts. The Part 64 allocation shall provide full allocation of all joint costs incurred by the utility for both non-regulated and regulated activities and affiliated companies.

    6. A copy of each adjusting journal entry made with supporting documentation in response to the utility's independent auditors' final recommendations in their most recent audit of the utility. The utility will 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.

    7. A copy of management letters received from the utility's outside auditors or responses to those management letters for the time period of the beginning of the historical period to the date of filing of the application.

    8. A listing of internal audits, and copies thereof, conducted by or for the Company or its parent for the time period beginning with the historical period to the date of the application, if relevant to the costs the utility seeks to recover from Utah ratepayers through Utah regulatory operations or the costs are allocated or directly charged to Utah regulated operations included in the general rate case application.

    9. Beginning with the start of the historical period, provide the affiliates organization chart for the utility including a clear indication of affiliates, parent companies, divisions and subsidiaries indicating their regulatory status. Include a personnel organization chart with names that provides line of authority and reporting for board members, management and mid-management including joint responsibilities for non-regulated affiliate responsibilities.

    10. A detailed description of corporate restructurings and changes in affiliate relationships since the prior general rate case and also describe changes in the corporate and affiliate relationships between the historical period and the end of the test period used in the application.

    11. Beginning with the two years prior to the historical period through the date of the application, provide 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 period, provide the total amount of retail revenue from retail sales and total retail bad debt expense.

    12. A detailed description of any changes in the utility's collection policies or write-off policies since the last general rate case.

    13. A list of penalties and fines in the historical period and the test period and indicate in which accounts the associated amounts are included.

    14. Description of all calculations and all supporting spreadsheets and explicit data source information for all numbers in the narrative portion of the application or any testimony and exhibits included with the application.

    B. Tax adjustments

    1. An exhibit explaining procedures used to calculate test period tax adjustments.

    2. An adjustment summary for tax expenses for normalized results of operations.

    3. Information explaining every adjustment that is done to test period tax expense and that is shown in the adjustment summary. Adjustments will be in "top sheet" form.

    4. A list of, revenue ruling requests, IRS responses, and correspondence between the utility and the IRS since the last general rate case.

    5. A copy of the current tax sharing agreement in which the company participates.

    6. List all property held for future use included in rate base. Listed property shall not include any item included in plant in service in rate base and the pro forma balance. The description shall include:

    a. Location of property;

    b. Date of acquisition;

    c. Original cost;

    d. Accumulated depreciation;

    e. net original cost;

    f. Planned or expected in-service date; and

    g. Planned or expected use of property.

    7. Copies of supporting work papers on the account Property Held for Future Use which shall include an explanation of all additions and transfers, including:

    a. Description of property;

    b. Description of transaction; and

    c. Amount.

    C. An applicant need not file the following information or documents with a general rate case application, but shall have such information and documents available for delivery and shall include a certification with its application that this information and these documents have been prepared and are available at the time it files its general rate case application. Contemporaneously with the filing of an application, an applicant shall also deliver this information and these documents to the Division of Public Utilities.

    1. The financial audit work papers for the most recent completed financial audit conducted by the utility's independent auditors. The utility will provide a letter authorizing the external audit firm to meet with requesting parties to discuss work papers with them and allow parties to make copies of selected work papers.

    2. Any revenue ruling requests, IRS responses, and correspondence between the utility and the IRS since the last general rate case.

    3. Copies of the most recent State and Federal income tax returns in which the utility participated.