1. The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to provide for the completion of proceedings under section 476.3 within ten months after the date of the filing of a petition under section 476.3, subsection 2, and to provide for the completion of proceedings under section 476.6 within ten months after the date of filing of the new or changed rates, charges, schedules, or regulations under that section. These rules shall include reasonable time limitations for the submission or completion of comments and testimony, and exhibits, briefs, and hearings, and may provide for the granting of additional time upon the request of a party to the proceeding for good cause shown.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 476.33

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • public utility: shall include any person, partnership, business association, or corporation, domestic or foreign, owning or operating any facilities for:
     a. See Iowa Code 476.1
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • undertaking: means a promise or security in any form. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Use: means to operate, navigate, or employ a vessel. See Iowa Code 462A.2
  • year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. Additional time granted to a party under subsection 1 shall not extend the amount of time for which a utility is required to file a bond or other undertaking conditioned upon refund under section 476.3, subsection 2.
 3. If in a proceeding under section 476.6 additional time is granted to a party under subsection 1, the board may extend the ten-month period during which a utility is prohibited from placing its entire rate increase request into effect under section 476.6, but an extension shall not exceed the aggregate amount of all additional time granted under subsection 1.
 4. The board shall adopt rules that require the board, in rate regulatory proceedings under sections 476.3 and 476.6, to utilize either a historic test year or a future test year at the rate-regulated public utility‘s discretion.

 a. For a rate regulatory proceeding utilizing a historic test year, the rules shall require the board to consider the use of the most current test period possible in determining reasonable and just rates, subject only to the availability of existing and verifiable data respecting costs and revenues, and in addition, to consider verifiable data that exists within nine months after the conclusion of the test year, respecting known and measurable changes in costs not associated with a different level of revenue, and known and measurable revenues not associated with a different level of costs, that are to occur at any time within twelve months after the date of commencement of the proceedings. Parties proposing adjustments that are not verifiable at the commencement of the proceedings shall include projected data related to the adjustments in their initial substantive filing with the board. For purposes of this paragraph, a proceeding commences under section 476.6 upon the filing date of new or changed rates, charges, schedules, or regulations.
 b. For a rate regulatory proceeding utilizing a future test year, the rules shall require the board to consider the use of any twelve-month period beginning no later than the date on which a proposed rate change is expected to take effect in determining just and reasonable rates. The rules shall also require the board to conduct a proceeding subsequent to the effective date of a rate resulting from a rate regulatory proceeding utilizing a future test year to determine whether the actual costs and revenues are reasonably consistent with those approved by the board. If the actual costs and revenues are not reasonably consistent with those approved by the board, the board shall adjust the rates accordingly. For a rate regulatory proceeding utilizing a future test year, the board may adopt rules regarding evidence required, information to support forecasts, and any reporting obligations. The board may also adopt rules regarding the conditions under which a public utility that utilizes a future test year may subsequently utilize a historic test year. A public utility shall not be precluded from filing a rate regulatory proceeding utilizing a future test year prior to the adoption of any rules pursuant to this subsection.
 c. This subsection does not limit the authority of the board to consider other evidence in proceedings under sections 476.3 and 476.6.
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