8-K NSP-WI Electric Rate Case 2015 - Direct Testimony


 


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) Oct. 3, 2014
Commission File
Number
 
Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter; State of
Incorporation; Address of Principal Executive Offices; and
Telephone Number
 
IRS Employer
Identification
Number
001-3034
 
XCEL ENERGY
 
41-0448030
 
 
(a Minnesota corporation)
 
 
 
 
414 Nicollet Mall
 
 
 
 
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
 
 
 
 
(612) 330-5500
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
001-03140
 
NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY
 
39-0508315
 
 
(a Wisconsin corporation)
 
 
 
 
1414 W. Hamilton Avenue
 
 
 
 
Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701
 
 
 
 
(715) 737-2625
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))




 







Item 8.01 Other Events.

In May 2014, Northern States Power Company (NSP-Wisconsin), a Wisconsin corporation, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Xcel Energy Inc., filed a request with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to increase electric rates by $20.6 million, or 3.2 percent, effective Jan. 1, 2015. The request is for the limited purpose of updating 2015 electric rates to reflect anticipated increases in the production and transmission fixed charges and the fuel and purchased power components of the interchange agreement with NSP-Minnesota. No changes are being requested to the capital structure or the 10.2 percent return on equity (ROE) authorized by the PSCW in the 2014 rate case. As part of an agreement with stakeholders to limit the size and scope of the case, NSP-Wisconsin also agreed to an earnings cap for 2015 only, in which 100 percent of the earnings above the authorized ROE would be refunded to customers.

On Oct. 3, 2014, the PSCW Staff filed their direct testimony and recommended an electric rate increase of $16.1 million, or 2.5 percent. The majority of the PSCW Staff’s adjustments are related to the fuel cost forecast, and are primarily the result of more recent data than was available at the time the initial filing was prepared last spring. No intervenors filed direct testimony, but they reserved their rights to file rebuttal testimony and/or briefs. The major cost components of the requested increase and the PSCW Staff recommendation are summarized below:

(Millions of Dollars)
 
NSP-Wisconsin
Request
 
PSCW Staff Recommendation
Production and transmission fixed charges
 
$
28.1

 
$
26.4

Fuel and purchased power
 
13.9

 
11.1

Sub-Total
 
$
42.0

 
$
37.5

 
 
 
 
 
NSP-Minnesota transmission depreciation reserve
 
(16.2
)
 
(16.2
)
Monticello extended power uprate deferral
 
(5.2
)
 
(5.2
)
Total
 
$
20.6

 
$
16.1


The next steps in the procedural schedule are as follows:
•
Rebuttal Testimony — Oct. 17, 2014;
•
Surrebuttal Testimony — Oct. 24, 2014; and
•
Evidentiary Hearing — Oct. 28, 2014.

A final PSCW decision is anticipated by the end of 2014.








Except for the historical statements contained in this 8-K, the matters discussed herein, including the expected impact of rate cases, are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements are intended to be identified in this document by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “outlook,” “plan,” “project,” “possible,” “potential,” “should” and similar expressions. Actual results may vary materially. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update them to reflect changes that occur after that date. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions, including inflation rates, monetary fluctuations and their impact on capital expenditures and the ability of Xcel Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, Xcel Energy) to obtain financing on favorable terms; business conditions in the energy industry; including the risk of a slow down in the U.S. economy or delay in growth recovery; trade, fiscal, taxation and environmental policies in areas where Xcel Energy and NSP-Wisconsin have a financial interest; customer business conditions; actions of credit rating agencies; competitive factors including the extent and timing of the entry of additional competition in the markets served by Xcel Energy and its subsidiaries; unusual weather; effects of geopolitical events, including war and acts of terrorism; state, federal and foreign legislative and regulatory initiatives that affect cost and investment recovery, have an impact on rates or have an impact on asset operation or ownership; or impose environmental compliance conditions; structures that affect the speed and degree to which competition enters the electric and natural gas markets; costs and other effects of legal and administrative proceedings, settlements, investigations and claims; financial or regulatory accounting policies imposed by regulatory bodies; availability of cost of capital; employee work force factors; and the other risk factors listed from time to time by Xcel Energy and NSP-Wisconsin in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Risk Factors in Item 1A and Exhibit 99.01 of Xcel Energy’s and NSP-Wisconsin’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2013 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2014 and June 30, 2014.





SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Oct. 6, 2014
Xcel Energy Inc.
(a Minnesota corporation)
 
Northern States Power Company
(a Wisconsin corporation)
 
 
 
/s/ TERESA S. MADDEN
 
Teresa S. Madden
 
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer