BEFORE THE WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION


In the Matter of the Requested )
Waiver of Statutory Notice in )  DOCKET UG-001980
Connection with the Tariff ) 
Filed by AVISTA CORPORATION d/b/a ) ORDER GRANTING LESS
AVISTA UTILITIES  ) THAN STATUTORY NOTICE
…………………………........................................... )

      BACKGROUND
          
1.  On December 15, 2000, Avista Corporation d/b/a Avista Utilities (the 
Company) filed with the Commission a revision to its currently effective Tariff 
WN U-29, designated as Original Sheet 163B, Natural Gas Benchmark Mechanism.  
The Company has proposed new language to the tariff sheet to specifically allow 
the deferral of hedging costs and revenues.

2.  The tariff sheet bears an inserted effective date of January 15, 2001.  
This date recognizes statutory notice as required.  The Company requests, 
however, that statutory notice be waived and that the revision become effective 
January 1, 2001.

3.  Avista Utilities declares a need to implement the tariff immediately due to 
extraordinary market prices for natural gas supplies currently and for the 
foreseable future. 

4.  Since the tariff and waiver of statutory notice are not inconsistent with 
the public interest, it is deemed appropriate that the Company be granted the 
waiver it is requesting with an effective date of January 1, 2001.  The 
Commission's approval of this tariff makes no statement regarding the prudence 
of any of the expenditures under the tariff nor about potential cost recovery 
as part of any proposed purchased gas cost adjustment filing.

FINDINGS

5.  Giving consideration to all relevant matters and for good cause shown, the 
Commission finds that the tariff revision filed herein by Avista Corporation 
d/b/a Avista Utilities on December 15, 2000 should become effective January 1, 
2001. 

O R D E R

6.  THE COMMISSION THEREFORE ORDERS that the requested waiver of Statutory 
Notice in connection with the tariff revision filed by Avista Corporation d/b/a 
Avista Utilities, December 15, 2000, is hereby granted, and said tariff 
revision shall become effective January 1, 2001.






7.  DATED at Olympia, Washington, and effective this 27th day of December, 2000.

  WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION



      MARILYN SHOWALTER, Chairwoman



      RICHARD HEMSTAD, Commissioner



      WILLIAM R. GILLIS, Commissioner