Opinion ID: 889579
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Did federal law preempt the PSC's order setting the standard tariff rate?

Text: ¶ 35 The PSC claims on appeal that nothing in federal law preempts Admin. R.M. 38.5.1902(5). The PSC raises this argument in response to an issue that Whitehall raised in its initial brief before the District Court and a short discussion of preemption in the PSC's Order no. 6444c. ¶ 36 Whitehall did not argue that federal law preempted any particular administrative rule. The District Court never addressed whether federal law preempted any particular administrative rule. Whitehall argued instead that the PSC's interpretation of its own administrative rules placed an inappropriate emphasis on state goals at the expense of the federal goals embodied by PURPA. We decline to address that argument here, however, in light of Whitehall's failure to raise the issue of federal preemption of any specific administrative rule and the fact that the District Court did not address the issue. ¶ 37 Affirmed. We Concur: MIKE McGRATH, C.J., JAMES C. NELSON, W. WILLIAM LEAPHART and JIM RICE, JJ.