BEFORE THE WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION
                                                      COMMISSION

In the Matter of the Application of
AVISTA CORPORATION 
for a Ruling on the Regulatory Treatment of the Gain on the Proposed Sale of 
the 2.5% Share of the Centralia Power Plant Acquired by Avista Corporation from 
Portland General Electric to be Sold to TECWA Power, Inc.
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	)	DOCKET NO. UE-000080 
		PREHEARING CONFERENCE ORDER

1.  The Commission convened a prehearing conference in this docket pursuant to 
due and proper notice to all interested persons at Olympia, Washington on 
February 10, 2000 before Administrative Law Judge C. Robert Wallis. 
2.  The parties appeared as follows: The applicant, Avista Corporation, 
appeared by Gary A. Dahlke, attorney, Spokane; Intervenor Industrial Customers 
of Northwest Utilities (ICNU), by Melinda J. Davison, Portland; Public Counsel 
Division of the Attorney General Office, by Simon ffitch, assistant attorney 
general; and the Commission Staff, by Robert D. Cedarbaum, assistant attorney 
general.
3.  The Applicant and Commission Staff proposed a process and a schedule in 
which the Commission could reach a decision on the application in the order 
resolving the merits in Docket Nos. UE-991255, et al., involving the Applicant=
s request for approval of the sale of its interest in an electric generation 
facility. The Applicant asked that the Commission enter a consolidated order in 
that docket and in this proceeding, no later than March 7, 2000.
4.  Public Counsel and Intervenor expressed concerns about the proposed 
schedule, involving briefs due on February 18 and 25, stating that the schedule 
would not afford them sufficient opportunity to prepare their submissions. 
Commission Staff asked that the schedule meet all parties=reasonable 
preparation needs.  The bench also observed that the proposed schedule could 
hamper the Commission=s efforts to produce a fully informed decision that 
knowledgeably and reasonably dealt with the issues.
5.  For those reasons, the following process and schedule are adopted:
         (a) The parties suggested that his docket be consolidated with Docket 
No. UE-991255 solely so that the record in that docket (and the dockets with 
which it was consolidated for hearing and decision) is available for 
consideration in this Application. On reflection, we believe that consolidation 
would be administratively burdensome in both proceedings and unnecessary to 
achieve the desired result. All parties to this proceeding are parties in the 
referenced proceeding. The parties agree as to the need to rely upon the 
record. By that agreement and with the consent of the Commission, the parties 
may use the record to the same extent in this docket as they may use the record 
in the original proceeding. Doing so affords the parties and the Commission 
full access to the record, yet forecloses the need to order consolidation, 
serve all parties, alter the case captions, and so forth. Any party objecting 
to this proposal may file the objection within the time stated for objections 
at the conclusion of this order.
         (b) The parties will submit an agreed stipulation of facts to the 
Commission no later than the close of business on Monday, February 14, 2000. 
         (c) The parties will submit simultaneous opening briefs on February 
28, 2000.  Reply briefs -- limited to responses to matters that the party has 
not addressed in its opening brief and that are new or a Asurprise@ to 
responding parties -- are due in the Commission offices no later than March 6, 
2000.  Parties must also send a courtesy copy to the Commission=s records 
center via electronic mail to arrive no later than the stated due dates. We 
select those days to allow one business day for overnight delivery, and we 
anticipate that the Commission will not grant extensions of time or permission 
to file by electronic means with copies to follow later. 
6.  The Commission will make its best efforts to expedite a decision once the 
matter is before it.
7.  NOTICE TO PARTIES: Any objection to the provisions of this Order must be 
filed within ten (10) days after the date of mailing of this document, pursuant 
to WAC 480-09-460(2). Absent such objections, this prehearing conference order 
will control further proceedings in this matter, subject to Commission review. 
         Dated at Olympia, Washington and effective this day of February, 2000. 
WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION         
                                                              C. ROBERT WALLIS
                                                              Administrative 
Law Judge