Docket No. 4237 - Commission's Initiated Docket - Investigation Relating to Stray and Contact Voltage

Proceeding to Establish a Contact Voltage Detection and Repair Program Applicable to National Grid Pursuant to Enacted Legislation

Status of Docket: Open to review Annual Contact Voltage compliance filings only (Part III).

PART I - Investigation Relating to Stray and Contact Voltage Occurring in Rhode Island Electric Utilities' Territories.

On March 1, 2011 the Commission issued data requests to National Grid regarding stray and contact voltage occurring in the company's territory. The same data requests were subsequently issued to the Pascoag Utility District and Block Island Power Co. The following represents the utilities' responses to the data requests:

• National Grid - Responses to Commission's 1st Set of Data Requests (dated 3/16/11); also Commission Exhibit 1
• National Grid - Responses to Commission's 2nd Set of Data Requests (4/29/11); Commission Exhibit 2
• National Grid - Responses to Commission's 3rd Set of Data Requests (1/3/12); Commission Exhibit 3
• National Grid - Responses to Commission's 4th Set of Data Requests (4/5/12); Commission Exhibit 4
• Pascoag Utility District - Responses to Commission's 1st Set of Data Requests (4/14/11)
• Pascoag Utility District - Responses to Commission's Data Requests (3/15/12)
• Block Island Power Co. - Responses to Commission's 1st Set of Data Requests (4/19/11)
• Block Island Power Co. - Responses to Commission's Data Requests (3/21/12)

PART II - Proceeding to Establish a Contact Voltage Detection and Repair Program Applicable to National Grid Pursuant to Enacted Legislation

On June 6, 2012, legislation was enacted directing the Commission and Division to open a docket addressing the issue of stray and contact voltage. The legislation requires the Commission to initiate a proceeding within 45 days and complete it within 120 days from passage, therefore, arriving to a completion date of October 4, 2012. The new legislation only applies to National Grid (NGrid). The Commission agreed to initiate this proceeding under the statute as a new part of Docket No. 4237.

• Procedural Schedule
• Revised Procedural Schedule
• Notice of Hearing - Evidentiary hearing scheduled September 24, 2012; Commission Exhibit 9
• Exhibit List
• Commission Staff Memorandum to Parties (9/18/12); Commission Exhibit 10
• Capital Advocacy, LLC, d/b/a Contact Voltage Information Center (CVIC)- Letter requesting to intervene (7/31/12)
  • Commission - Reply to CVIC regarding intervention request (7/31/12)
  • CVIC -Motion to File Out of Time & Motion to Intervene (8/2/12)
  • CVIC - Letter informing that National Grid and the Division have no objection to motion to intervene (8/8/13)
    
     
• National Grid (NGrid) - Proposed Contact Voltage Program incorporating the requirements of the recently enacted Contact Voltage Program Statute, R.I.G.L. §39-2-25 (8/17/12); also NGrid Exhibit 1
• National Grid - Responses to Commission's 5th Set of Data Requests (9/6/12); Commission Exhibit 5
• National Grid - Responses to Commission's 6th Set of Data Requests (9/18/12); Commission Exhibit 6
• National Grid - Response to Commission DR-2-41-ELEC in Docket No. 4323 (issued 7/10/12); admitted as Commission Exhibit 7 on 9/24/12
• National Grid - Response to Commission DR-5-18-ELEC in Docket No. 4323 (issued 8/24/12); admitted as Commission Exhibit 8 on 9/24/12
• CVIC - Direct Testimony of W. Alan Homyk, PE, CHP (9/7/12); also CVIC Exhibit 1
• CVIC - IEEE Draft Report - admitted as CVIC Exhibit 2 on 9/24/12
• National Grid - Reply Comments to CVIC including Direct Testimony of Jennnifer L. Grimsley, Edward S. Paluch PE, PMP and Bartholomew J. Cass (9/20/12); NGrid Exhibit 2
• Division of Public Utilities - Direct Testimony Gregory L. Booth, P.E. and Michael W. White, P.E. (9/18/12); Division Exhibit 1
• National Grid - Reply Comments to the Division of Public Utilities including Testimony of Jennifer L. Grimsley, Edward S. Paluch PE, PMP and Bartholomew J. Cass and Motion for Protective Treatment (9/21/12); NGrid Exhibit 3 & Confidential Exhibit 4
  
   
• Post Hearing Correspondence and Responses to Record Requests:
  • Commission - Letter to Atty. John Spirito, Division of Public Utilities (9/25/12)
  • Division - Atty. John Spirito's response to Commission's letter (9/26/12)
  • National Grid - Responses to Commission's Record Requests #2 and #4 (9/27/12)
  • National Grid - Responses to Commission's Record Requests #1 and #3 (10/1/12
  • CVIC - Response to National Grid's Record Response #4 (10/2/12)
  • Division - Letter concerning CVIC's Exhibit 2 (10/2/12)
  • CVIC - Reply to Division's Letter (10/3/12)
    
     
• Public Comment Exhibits (For Identification Only) on September 24, 2012 Hearing
  • Public Comment from Anthony W. and Nancy Green (8/31/12)
  • Public Comment from Power Survey Co. (9/6/12)
  • Public Comment from Power Survey Co. (9/21/12)
  • Public Comment from Premier Utility Services (9/10/12)
  • Public Comment from Premier Utility Services (9/11/12)
  • Public Comment from Premier Utility Services (9/12/12)
  • Public Comment from Robert Hantman (9/12/12)
  • Public Comment from George Holmes (9/20/12)
  • Public Comment from James Bouford (9/20/12)

• National Grid - Revised Contact Voltage Plan (10/2/12)
• Commission - Open Meeting Memorandum
• Commission Report and Order No. 20871 approving National Grid's Revised Contact Voltage Plan. Written Order issued 11/9/12.

Compliance Filings - Relating to National Grid's Request for Proposal (RFP) Results:

• National Grid - Summary of the RFP results and its recommendation with respect to the surveying schedule to be adopted and Motion for Protective Treatment of RFP responses and pricing information contained in the Company's report.(12/17/12)
• Division of Public Utilities - Comments from Division's witness Gregory L. Booth, PE of Power Services (1/4/13)
• Power Survey - Public Comments regarding NGrid's RFP (1/4/13)
• National Grid - Response to the January 4, 2013 comments of Power Survey Company (1/24/13)
• Power Survey - Public Reply Comments (1/29/13)
• Letter from Representative Christopher R. Blazejewski (1/22/13)
• Commission Order No. 20950 finding National Grid in compliance with the RFP process approved in Order No. 20871 and approving National Grid's recommendation that all Designated Contact Voltage Risk Areas be surveyed and tested in the first year with a twenty percent tested each year thereafter. Written Order issued February 1, 2013.

Part III - The Narragansett Electric Co. Annual Contact Voltage Report - Compliance Filings 

Compliance Filings  Relating to 2013 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid - 2013 Annual Contact Voltage Compliance Report and Motion for Protective Treatment of Confidential Information (8/29/13)
• Procedural Schedule
• Power Survey Co.'s - Motion to Intervene(10/2/13)
• Division of Public Utilities & Carriers' Objection to Motion to Intervene of Power Survey Company and Division’s Memorandum of Law in Support of its Objection (10/15/13)
• National Grid's Objection to Power Survey Company's Motion to Intervene (10/15/13)
• Power Survey Co.'s Reply to Objections (11/6/13)
• National Grid's Sur-Reply in Opposition to Power Survey's Motion to Intervene (11/12/13)
• Division of Public Utilities - Memorandum of Gregory L. Booth, PE (12/19/13)
• PUC - Updated Procedural Schedule (1/6/14)
• National Grid - Reply Comments to the Division's Recommendations and Review Comments (1/10/14)
• Division of Public Utilities - Reply (1/14/14)
• PUC Order No. 21414 finding National Grid in compliance with Order No. 20871 & No. 20950, and approving NGrid's August 29, 2013 Contact Voltage Annual Report and Recommendation. Written Order issued 3/31/14.
• Power Survey Company appealed Commission Order No. 20950 to the Supreme Court. Pursuant to Supreme Court's Writ of Certiorari, the record was transmitted to the Supreme Court on March 15, 2013.
• Supreme Court's denying Power Survey's petition for a writ of certiorari. Ruling issued 5/30/14.

Compliance Filings Relating to 2014 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid - 2014 Annual Contact Voltage Compliance Report (6/26/14)
• Procedural Schedule
• National Grid - Responses to PUC's Seventh Set of Data Requests (8/22/14)
• Division of Public Utilities - Correspondence from Gregory Booth reflecting the Division's position (10/2/14)
• National Grid - 2014 Annual Contact Voltage Supplemental Report (10/14/14)
• National Grid - Letter concerning a recent development regarding the device used for the detection of stray voltage (12/5/14)
• PUC Order No. 21780 finding National Grid's June 16, 2014 Contact Voltage Annual Report in compliance with PUC Orders. Written Order issued 12/16/14.

Compliance Filings Relating to 2015 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid - 2015 Annual Contact Voltage Compliance Report (includes revised page 11) (6/30/15)
• Division of Public Utilities - Memorandum of Gregory Booth reflecting the Division's position (8/3//15)
• PUC Order No. 22357 finding National Grid's June 30, 2015 Contact Voltage Annual Report in compliance with PUC's orders. Written Order issued 3/14/16.

Compliance Filings Relating to 2016 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid - 2016 Annual Contact Voltage Compliance Report
• National Grid - Clean and redlined versions of the Company's revision to page 10 of Exhibit 4 of the 2016 Contact Voltage Annual Report, (5/26/16)
• Division - Comments and recommendation of Gregory Booth reflecting the Division's position (5/6/16)
• National Grid - Revised Table 3 to the Company's 2016 Contact Voltage Annual Report, incorporating the comments of the Division's witness Gregory Booth (7/12/16)
• PUC Order No. 22567 issued to National Grid finding the company’s Contact Voltage Annual Report for FY 2016 in compliance with PUC's orders. Written Order issued 10/7/16.

Compliance Filings Relating to 2017 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid - 2017 Annual Contact Voltage Report
• Division's Consultant Gregory Booth - recommendation regarding the Company’s 2017 Annual Contact Voltage Report. (10/25/17)
• PUC Order No. 23270 finding National Grid finding the company’s Contact Voltage Annual Report for FY 2017 in compliance with PUC's orders. Order issued 9/4/18.

Compliance Filings Relating to 2018 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid's 2018 Annual Contact Voltage Report (8/28/18)
• Division's Memorandum of Gregory Booth (10/3/18)
• National Grid's response to PUC's Data Request 1 (10/5/18)
• National Grid's response to PUC's Data Request 2-2 (11/1/18)
• National Grid's response to PUC's Data Request 2-1 Redacted (11/5/18)
• National Grid's Compliance Filing (12/3/18)
• PUC Order 23442 finding National Grid's Contact Voltage Report for FY 2018 in compliance with previous PUC orders; and adopting National Grid and Division's recommendations. Order issued 3/1/19.

Compliance Filings Relating to 2019 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid's 2019 Annual Contact Voltage Report (9/18/19)
• National Grid's response to Division Data Request 1 (11/5/19)
• Division of Public Utilities' Memorandum (11/7/19)
• National Grid's response to PUC Data Request 1 (11/20/19)
• PUC Order 23761 finding National Grid's Contact Voltage Report for FY 2019 in compliance w/ PUC's Orders

Compliance Filings Relating to 2020 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid's 2020 Annual Contact Voltage Report (6/25/20)
• National Grid's response to Division's data request (8/5/20)
• Division's Position Memorandum (8/7/20)
• National Grid's response to PUC data request 1 (8/31/20)
• National Grid's response to PUC data request 2 - redacted (9/16/20)
• National Grids' response to PUC data request 3 - redacted (10/8/20)
• National Grid's response to PUC data request 4 - redacted (10/20/20)
• PUC Order 23944 finding National Grid's Contact Voltage Report for FY 2020 in compliance (11/9/20)

Compliance Filings Relating to 2021 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid's 2021 Annual Contact Voltage Report (8/18/21)
  • CV Report - Corrected Table 2 (9/10/21)
• Division's Position Memorandum (9/2/21)
• National Grid's response to PUC data request 5 (8/30/21)
• PUC Order No. 24263 finding National Grid's Contact Voltage Report for FY 2021 in compliance (11/12/21)

Compliance Filings Relating to 2022 Annual Contact Voltage Filing

• National Grid's 2022 Annual Contact Voltage Report (2/17/22)
• National Grid's response to PUC Data Request Set 6 (3/4/22)
• National Grid's response to Division Data Request Set 1 (3/8/22)
• Division's Position Memorandum (3/15/22)
• PUC Order No. 24577 (1/27/23)

Compliance Filings Relating to 2023 Annual Contact Voltage Filing 

• Rhode Island Energy 2023 Annual Contact Voltage Filing (1/12/24) 
• Rhode Island Energy Corrected 2023 Contact Voltage Filing (1/31/24)
• Rhode Island Energy Response to Data Request Set 7 (2/22/24) 
• Division Position Memorandum (2/23/24)

Other Compliance Filings

• National Grid - Total Harmonic Distortion Pilot Program (5/14/13)