PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE d/b/a EVERSOURCE ENERGY
ORDER No. 25, 954
No. DE 16-817
New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
October 18, 2016
Auction
of Electric Generation Facilities Order Denying Joint Motion
to Designate Staff
Martin
P. Honigberg, Chairman
I.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
This
docket considers the auction design and related
recommendations put forward by the Commission's auction
advisor, J.P. Morgan ("JPM"), for the divestiture
of the generation assets of Public Service Company of New
Hampshire d/b/a Eversource Energy ("Eversource"). A
procedural schedule for this proceeding was established by an
Order of Notice issued on September 7, 2016. The City of
Berlin and the Town of Gorham were granted intervention by
the Commission at the prehearing conference for this docket.
On September 30, Berlin and Gorham (together, the
"Moving Parties") filed joint written comments
regarding the JPM auction design proposal, which included a
request that the Commission designate General Counsel Anne
Ross and Electric Division Director Thomas Frantz as Staff
Advocates pursuant to RSA 363:32, II. On October 4, the
Commission issued a secretarial letter indicating that the
Moving Parties' request would be treated as a motion to
designate Staff, with an invitation for parties to respond by
October 6, 2016.
II. POSITIONS OF THE PARTIES
A.
Berlin and Gorham
The
Moving Parties' comments regarding the JPM auction design
included the following statement: "Finally, [Berlin and
Gorham] respectfully request that Attorney Ross and Mr.
Frantz be designated as 'Staff Advocates' pursuant to
RSA 363:32 (II) as was the case in the Divestiture
Docket." Moving Parties' Comments, September 30,
2016, at 14. That was the full extent of the Moving
Parties' argument.
B.
Eversource
Eversource
filed the only objection. Eversource's objection
identified a number of problems with the Moving Parties'
request, including: a lack of factual allegations supporting
designation; the Moving Parties' past assent to the 2016...
