Opinion ID: 2721724
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The information required by Commission Form

Text: PSC/ECR/011-E (2/04), entitled “Minimum Filing Requirements for Investor-Owned Electric Utilities” which is incorporated into this rule by reference. The form may be obtained from the Commission’s Division of Economic Regulation. 2. The exact name of the applicant and the address of the applicant’s principal place of business. 3. Copies of prepared direct testimony and exhibits for each witness testifying on behalf of the Company. (b) In compiling the required schedules, a company shall follow the policies, procedures and guidelines prescribed by the Commission in relevant rules and in the company’s last rate case or in a more recent rate case involving a comparable utility. These schedules shall - 23 - be identified appropriately (e.g., Schedule B-1 would be designated Company Schedule B-1 – Company basis). (c) Each schedule shall be cross-referenced to identify related schedules as either supporting schedules or recap schedules. (d) Each page of the filing shall be numbered on 8 1/2” × 11” inch paper. Each witness’ prefiled testimony and exhibits shall be on numbered pages and all exhibits shall be attached to the proponent’s testimony. (e) Except for handwritten official company records, all data in the petition, testimony, exhibits and minimum filing requirements shall be typed. (f) Each schedule shall indicate the name of the witness responsible for its presentation. (g) All schedules involving investment data shall be completed on an average investment basis. Unless a specific schedule requests otherwise, average is defined as the average of 13 monthly balances. (h) Twenty-one copies of the filing, consisting of the petition and its supporting attachments, testimony, and exhibits, shall be filed with the Office of Commission Clerk. (i) Whenever the company proposes any corrections, updates or other changes to the originally filed data, 21 copies shall be filed with the Office of Commission Clerk with copies also served on all parties at the same time. (2) Commission Designee: The Director of the Division of Economic Regulation shall be the designee of the Commission for purposes of determining whether the utility has met the minimum filing requirements imposed by this rule. In making this determination, the Director shall consider whether information that would have been provided in a particular schedule required by this rule has been provided to the same degree of detail in another required schedule that the utility incorporates by reference. Fla. Admin. Code R. 25-6.043 (emphasis added). Further, pursuant to section 366.076(2), Florida Statutes (2012), the Commission has the authority to adopt rules for the determination of rates in full revenue requirement proceedings. These rules provide for adjustments of rates based on revenues and costs during the - 24 - period new rates are to be in effect and for incremental adjustments in rates for subsequent periods. Pursuant to this authority, the Commission adopted Florida Administrative Code rule 25-6.0425, which provides that “[t]he Commission may in a full revenue requirements proceeding approve incremental adjustments in rates for periods subsequent to the initial period in which new rates will be in effect.”7 The Florida Administrative Code also contains a rule governing the procedures for disposition of a motion. Under Florida Administrative Code rule 28-106.204(1), “[t]he presiding officer shall conduct such proceedings and enter such orders as are deemed necessary to dispose of issues raised by [motions].” Further, “[w]ritten motions will normally be disposed of after the response period has expired, based on the motion, together with any supporting or opposing memoranda.” The response period in this rule is seven days. Rule 28-106.211, Florida Administrative Code, also allows the presiding officer to issue orders 7. Although the plain language of section 366.076(2) and rule 25.06425 would seemingly be applied to GBRAs as well as “subsequent year adjustments,” the Commission has not utilized this rule for GBRAs. This Court, however, in approving the Commission’s decision to grant a subsequent year adjustment, stated, “At the heart of this dispute is the authority of [the Commission] to combat ‘regulatory lag’ by granting prospective rate increases which enable the utilities to earn a fair and reasonable return on their investments. We long ago recognized that rates are fixed for the future and that it is appropriate for [the Commission] to recognize factors which affect future rates and to grant prospective rate increases based on these factors.” Floridians United for Safe Energy, Inc. v. Pub. Serv. Comm’n, 475 So. 2d 241, 242 (Fla. 1985). - 25 - necessary to effectuate discovery, to prevent delay, and to promote the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of the case. As noted in the discussion below, the Commission followed the procedures outlined in the statutes and rules, and provided Citizens with adequate notice and the opportunity to be heard. Accordingly, we affirm the Commission’s final order.