On the basis of our review of the direct testimony, we will decide whether some issues should be excluded. We assume the merger-approval issues so far presented by parties exhaust all that may be relevant and material to the inquiry. A compilation of these is appended. Not least of our concerns at this early point in the proceedings is the absence of a clear sense of the findings we must make to support a public interest decision on the Application. We ask parties to address this at the April 2 hearing.
All parties agree the approval standard is net positive benefits.
Applicants have indicated they will comply with it and have so structured testimony filed to date. There being good reason to adopt this standard and none to do otherwise, we will employ the net positive benefits standard in this Docket just as we have in preceding dockets, notably, the 1989 merger of Pacific Power and Light and Utah Power and Light Companies. We do not comment beyond the following on PacifiCorp's verbal statement that it may argue, at a later point, if it chooses, that the proper standard is not net positive benefits but no harm to ratepayers. In every docket that comes before us, we make it a practice to hear all relevant argument and testimony so the evidentiary record is complete. We will do so here.