Nevada Complicates Wwp Deal

Nevada regulators have again thrown a resistor into the proposed circuitry of a merger between Washington Water Power Co. and Sierra Pacific Resources.

Although officials at Renobased Sierra Monday were downplaying a proposed opinion and order issued by Nevada regulators Friday, WWP spokesman Rob Strenge said executives in Spokane were wary.

“We have some concerns,” said Strenge, who declined to be more specific until officials had time to digest the 27-page document.

Nancy Stanton, a spokeswoman for the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, said the Nevada order seems to indicate a desire to change rate-setting procedures in ways that could benefit Sierra Pacific customers at the expense of those served by WWP.

A merger between the two utilities seemed to be on track for final approval by all state and federal authorities by the middle of this month.

The Washington commission gave its consent to the deal Thursday, the same day the Nevada Public Service Commission was expected to act. But it did not until Friday. And Nevada’s proposed order brought a swift filing for a stay of the Washington commission’s consent by its staff.

According to the request filed with the Washington commission, the Nevada order contains “several surprising and objectionable provisions.”

The stay, if granted, would keep the Washington decision from taking effect until a final ruling by Nevada, which could come by the end of the week.

Characterizing the Nevada commission action as a delay and not a setback, Sierra spokesman Robert Sagan said a fifth commissioner who joined the body Monday should help resolve a deadlock over wording of the order.

The biggest disagreement, he said, has to do with allocation of the benefits from a new transmission line Sierra Pacific is building that has the potential to significantly increase WWP’s ability to sell power into California and other markets.

, DataTimes