COMMISSION                       
 
WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND      )
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION,    )
               Complainant,   )
          vs.                 )    DOCKET NO. UG-971071
THE WASHINGTON WATER POWER    )    VOLUME 2
COMPANY,                      )    ( PAGES 30-33 ) 
               Respondent.    )
---------------------------------
 
          
 
          A public hearing in the above matter
 
was held on December 17, 1997 at 7:00 p.m., at 710
 
Sleater-Kinney Road Southeast, Suite Q, Lacey, 
 
Washington, before Administrative Law Judge
 
MARJORIE  SCHAER, Commissioners DICK HEMSTAD and BILL 
 
GILLIS, and Chairwoman ANNE LEVINSON.   
 
 
 
          The parties were present as follows:
 
          THE WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION 
COMMISSION STAFF, by ROBERT CEDARBAUM, Assistant 
Attorney General, 1400 South Evergreen Park Drive 
Southwest, Olympia, Washington  98504, and PENNY 
HANSEN, (via video in Spokane.)
 
          THE PUBLIC, by SIMON FFITCH, Assistant 
Attorney General, 900 Fourth Avenue, Suite 2000, 
Seattle, Washington  98164.
 
          THE WASHINGTON WATER POWER COMPANY, by DAVID 
MEYER, Attorney at Law, (via video in Spokane), 717 
West Sprague, Suite 1200, Spokane, Washington  99204.
 
 
Kathryn T. Wilson, CCR
 
Court Reporter                                        
 
                 P R O C E E D I N G S
 
          JUDGE SCHAER:  The hearing will come to 
order.  This hearing was set by notice of hearing dated 
December 4th, 1997.  Today's date is December 17th, 
1997.  This is a hearing before The Utilities and 
Transportation Commission for the purpose of taking 
public testimony on a settlement proposal between the 
Washington Water Power Company, Commission staff, 
Public Counsel, and intervenors, the Northwest 
Industrial Gas Users, and Northwest Alloys, Inc. in 
Docket No. UG-971071, which is request for a general 
increase in natural gas rates proposed by the 
Washington Water Power Company. 
          My name is Marjorie Schaer.  I'm the 
administrative law judge assigned to these proceedings, 
and we are in the Washington Interactive Television 
video conference room in Lacey, Washington.  Also with 
us this evening are representatives of the Washington 
Water Power Company and a representative of the 
Commission staff who are present at the video 
conference site in Spokane, Washington. 
          At present, there are no members of the 
public at either site who have come to testify on this 
proposal, so I will not, at this point, go through and 
explain the procedure that would be followed if some 
members of the public were to appear.  To my right, and 
I believe to your left looking at the camera, are the 
members of the Commission, Chairwoman Anne Levinson, 
Commissioner William Gillis, and Commissioner Dick 
Hemstad.  At this point, I would like to take 
appearances from counsel beginning with public counsel 
please, Mr. ffitch? 
          MR. FFITCH:  Simon ffitch, assistant attorney 
general for the public counsel section.  Would you like 
the address and additional information?
          JUDGE SCHAER:  I think that's adequate.  
Commission staff?
          MR. CEDARBAUM:  My name is Robert Cedarbaum.  
I'm also an assistant attorney general representing the 
Commission staff.
          JUDGE SCHAER:  Moving to Spokane, would you 
appear for the company, Mr. Meyer? 
          MR. MEYER:  David Meyer for the Washington 
Water Power Company.
          JUDGE SCHAER:  And finally, representing the 
Commission in Spokane is Ms. Penny Hansen.  What I'm 
going to suggest at this point is that we go off the 
record and wait for about 10 minutes to see if anyone 
appears, and if no one does, we then adjourn the 
hearing.  Is there anyone who wishes to comment on 
that?  We're off the record.
          (Off the record.)
          JUDGE SCHAER:  Let's be back on the record.  
It's now 7:15 in the evening, and we have waited to see 
if any members of the public have joined us either in 
Spokane or Lacey, so at this point, I am planning to 
adjourn the hearing.  Is there anything further to come 
before us today?  Hearing nothing, this hearing will 
recommence at 1:30 in the afternoon on Monday, and 
until then, we are off the record.
          
          ( Public hearing adjourned at 7:15 p.m.)