(a) Integrated resource plans (IRP) and alternatives. Each Western customer must address its power resource needs in an IRP prepared and submitted to Western as described in this subpart. Alternatively, Western customers may submit a small customer plan, minimum investment report or EE/RE report as provided in this subpart.

(b) Rural Utility Service and state utility commission reports. For customers subject to IRP filings or other electrical resource use reports from the Rural Utilities Service or a state utility commission, nothing in this part requires a customer to take any action inconsistent with those requirements.

(a) General. Integrated resource planning is a planning process for new energy resources that evaluates the full range of alternatives, including new generating capacity, power purchases, energy conservation and efficiency, cogeneration and district heating and cooling applications, and renewable energy resources, to provide adequate and reliable service to a customer's electric consumers. An IRP supports customer-developed goals and schedules. The plan must take into account necessary features for system operation, such as diversity, reliability, dispatchability, and other risk factors; must take into account the ability to verify energy savings achieved through energy efficiency and the projected durability of such savings measured over time; and must treat demand and supply resources on a consistent and integrated basis.

(b) IRP criteria. IRPs must consider electrical energy resource needs and may consider, at the customer's option, water, natural gas, and other energy resources. Each IRP submitted to Western must include:

(1) Identification of resource options. Identification and comparison of resource options is an assessment and comparison of existing and future supply-and demand-side resource options available to a customer based upon its size, type, resource needs, geographic area, and competitive situation. Resource options evaluated by the specific customer must be identified. The options evaluated should relate to the resource situation unique to each Western customer as determined by profile data (such as service area, geographical characteristics, customer mix, historical loads, projected growth, existing system data, rates, and financial information) and load forecasts. Specific details of the customer's resource comparison need not be provided in the IRP itself. They must, however, be made available to Western upon request.

(i) Supply-side options include, but are not limited to, purchased power contracts and conventional and renewable generation options.

(ii) Demand-side options alter the customer's use pattern to provide for an improved combination of energy services to the customer and the ultimate consumer.

(iii) Considerations that may be used to develop potential options include cost, market potential, consumer preferences, environmental impacts, demand or energy impacts, implementation issues, revenue impacts, and commercial availability.

(iv) The IRP discussion of resource options must describe the options chosen by the customer, clearly demonstrating that decisions were based on a reasonable analysis of the options. The IRP may strike a balance among the applicable resource evaluation factors.

(2) Action plan. IRPs must include an action plan describing specific actions the customer will take to implement its IRP.

(i) The IRP must state the time period that the action plan covers, and the action plan must be updated and resubmitted to Western when this time period expires. The customer may submit a revised action plan with the annual IRP progress report discussed in § 905.14.

(ii) For those customers not experiencing or anticipating load growth, the action plan requirement for the IRP may be satisfied by a discussion of current actions and procedures in place to periodically reevaluate the possible future need for new resources. The action plan must include a summary of:

(A) Actions the customer expects to take in accomplishing the goals identified in the IRP;

(B) Milestones to evaluate accomplishment of those actions during implementation; and

(C) Estimated energy and capacity benefits for each action planned.

(3) Environmental effects. To the extent practical, the customer must minimize adverse environmental effects of new resource acquisitions and document these efforts in the IRP. Customers are neither precluded from nor required to include a quantitative analysis of environmental externalities as part of the IRP process. IRPs must include a qualitative analysis of environmental effects in summary format.

(4) Public participation. The customer must provide ample opportunity for full public participation in preparing and developing an IRP (or any IRP revision or amendment). The IRP must include a brief description of public involvement activities, including how the customer gathered information from the public, identified public concerns, shared information with the public, and responded to public comments. Customers must make additional documentation identifying or supporting the full public process available to Western upon request.

(i) As part of the public participation process for an MBA, the governing body of an MBA must approve the IRP in accordance with the MBA's by-laws, confirming that all requirements have been met. To indicate approval in the case of an individual IRP submitted by an entity with a board of directors or city council, a responsible official must sign the IRP submitted to Western or the customer must document passage of an approval resolution by the appropriate governing body included or referred to in the IRP.

(ii) For Western customers that do not purchase electricity for resale, such as some State, Tribal, and Federal agencies, the customer can satisfy the public participation requirement by having a top management official with resource acquisition responsibility review and concur on the IRP. The customer must note this concurrence in the IRP.

(5) Load forecasting. An IRP must include a statement that the customer conducted load forecasting. Load forecasting should include data that reflects the size, type, resource conditions, and demographic nature of the customer using an accepted load forecasting method, including but not limited to the time series, end-use, and econometric methods. The customer must make the load forecasting data available to Western upon request.

(6) Measurement strategies. The IRP must include a brief description of measurement strategies for options identified in the IRP to determine whether the IRP's objectives are being met. These validation methods must include identification of the baseline from which a customer will measure the benefits of its IRP implementation. A reasonable balance may be struck between the cost of data collection and the benefits resulting from obtaining exact information. Customers must make performance validation and evaluation data available to Western upon request.

(c) IRP criteria for certain customers not qualifying for “small customer” status. Customers with limited economic, managerial, and resource capability and total annual sales and usage of 25 gigawatthours (GWh) or less who are members of joint-action agencies and generation and transmission cooperatives with power supply responsibility are eligible for the criteria specified in paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section.

(1) Each IRP submitted by a customer under paragraph (c) of this section must:

(i) Consider all reasonable opportunities to meet future energy service requirements using DSM techniques, renewable energy resources, and other programs; and

(ii) Minimize, to the extent practical, adverse environmental effects.

(2) Each IRP submitted by a customer under paragraph (c) of this section must include, in summary form:

(i) Customer name, address, phone number, email and Website if applicable, and contact person;

(ii) Customer type;

(iii) Current energy and demand profiles, and data on total annual energy sales and usage for the past 5 years, which Western will use to verify that customers qualify for these criteria;

(iv) Future energy services projections;

(v) How items in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) and (c)(1)(ii) of this section were considered; and

(vi) Actions to be implemented over the customer's planning timeframe.

(a) Number of IRPs submitted. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, one IRP is required per customer, regardless of the number of long-term firm power contracts between the customer and Western.

(b) Method of submitting IRPs. Customers must submit IRPs to Western under one of the following options:

(1) Customers may submit IRPs individually.

(2) MBAs may submit IRPs for each of their members or submit one IRP on behalf of all or some of their members. An IRP submitted by an MBA must specify the responsibilities and participation levels of individual members and the MBA. Any member of an MBA may submit an individual IRP to Western instead of being included in an MBA IRP.

(3) Customers may submit IRPs as regional/IRP cooperatives when previously approved by Western. Western encourages customers to prepare “regional” IRPs. Regional IRPs are voluntary and participants need not be members of an MBA or a Western customer. Regional/IRP cooperatives may also submit small customer plans, minimum investment reports, and EE/RE reports on behalf of eligible IRP cooperative members.

(c) Alternatives to submitting individual IRPs. Customers with Western approval to submit small customer plans, minimum investment or EE/RE reports may substitute the applicable plan or report instead of an IRP. Each customer that intends to seek approval for IRP cooperative, small customer, minimum investment report or EE/RE report status must provide advance written notification to Western. A new customer must provide this notification to the Western Regional Manager of the Region in which the customer is located within 30 days from the time it becomes a customer. Any customer may resubmit an IRP or notify Western of its plan to change its compliance method at any time so long as there is no period of noncompliance.

(a) Submitting the initial IRP. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, customers that have not previously had an IRP approved by Western must submit the initial IRP to the appropriate Regional Manager no later than 1 year after May 1, 2000, or after becoming a customer, whichever is later.

(b) Updates and amendments to IRPs. Customers must submit updated IRPs to the appropriate Regional Manager every 5 years after Western's approval of the initial IRP. Customers that complied with Western's IRP regulations in effect before May 1, 2000 must maintain their submission and resubmission schedules previously in effect. Customers may submit amendments and revisions to IRPs at any time.

(c) IRP cooperatives. Customers with geographic, resource supply, and other similarities may join together and request, in writing, Western's approval to become an IRP cooperative. Western will respond to IRP cooperative status requests within 30 days of receiving a request. If Western disapproves a request for IRP cooperative status, the requesting participants must maintain their currently applicable integrated resource or small customer plans, or submit the initial IRPs no later than 1 year after the date of the disapproval letter. Western's approval of IRP cooperative status will not be based on any potential participant's contractual status with Western. Each IRP cooperative must submit an IRP for its participants within 18 months after Western approves IRP cooperative status.

Yes, customers must submit IRP progress reports each year within 30 days of the anniversary date of the approval of the currently applicable IRP. The reports must describe the customer's accomplishments achieved under the action plan, including projected goals and implementation schedules, and energy and capacity benefits and renewable energy developments achieved as compared to those anticipated. Western prefers measured values, but will accept reasonable estimates if measurement is infeasible or not cost-effective. Instead of a separate progress report, the customer may use any other annual report that the customer submits to Western or another entity, at the customer's discretion, if that report contains all required data for the previous full year and is submitted within 30 days of the approval anniversary date of the currently applicable IRP. With Western's approval, customers may submit reports outside of the 30-day anniversary date window.

(a) Requesting small customer status. Small customers may submit a request to prepare a small customer plan instead of an IRP. Requests for small customer status from electric utilities must include data on total annual energy sales and usage for the 5 years prior to the request. Western will average this data to determine overall annual energy sales and usage so that uncontrollable events, such as extreme weather, do not distort levelized energy sales and usage. Requests from end-use customers must only document that the customer does not purchase electricity for resale. Western will respond to small customer status requests within 30 days of receiving the request. If Western disapproves a request, the customer must maintain its currently applicable IRP, or submit the initial IRP no later than 1 year after the date of the disapproval letter. Alternatively, the customer may submit a request for minimum investment report or EE/RE report status, as appropriate.

(b) Small customer plan contents. Small customer plans must:

(1) Consider all reasonable opportunities to meet future energy service requirements using demand-side management techniques, renewable energy resources, and other programs that provide retail consumers with electricity at reasonable cost;

(2) Minimize, to the extent practical, adverse environmental effects; and

(3) Present in summary form the following information:

(i) Customer name, address, phone number, email and Website if applicable, and contact person;

(ii) Type of customer;

(iii) Current energy and demand profiles and data on total annual energy sales and usage for the previous 5 years for utility customers, or current energy and demand use for end-use customers;

(iv) Future energy services projections;

(v) How items in paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section were considered; and

(vi) Actions to be implemented over the customer's planning timeframe.

(c) When to submit small customer plans. Small customers must submit the first small customer plan to the appropriate Western Regional Manager within 1 year after Western approves the request for small customer status. Small customers must submit, in writing, a small customer plan every 5 years.

(d) Maintaining small customer status. (1) Every year on the anniversary of Western's approval of the plan, small customers must submit a letter to Western verifying that either their annual energy sales and usage is 25 GWh or less averaged over the previous 5 years, or they continue to be end-use customers. The letter must also identify their achievements against targeted action plans, as well as the revised summary of actions if the previous summary of actions has expired.

(2) Western will use the letter for overall program evaluation and comparison with the customer's plan, and for verification of continued small customer status. Customers may submit annual update letters outside of the anniversary date if previously agreed to by Western so long as the letter contains all required data for the previous full year.

(e) Losing eligibility for small customer status. (1) A customer ceases to be a small customer if it:

(i) Is a utility customer and exceeds total annual energy sales and usage of 25 GWh, as averaged over the previous 5 years; or

(ii) Is no longer an end-use customer.

(2) Western will work with a customer that loses small customer status to develop an appropriate schedule for submitting an IRP or other report required under this subpart.

(a) Request to submit the minimum investment report. Customers may submit a request to prepare a minimum investment report instead of an IRP. Minimum investment reports may be submitted by MBAs on behalf of the MBA or its members, and by IRP cooperatives on behalf of its participants. Requests to submit minimum investment reports must include data on:

(1) The source of the minimum investment requirement (number, title, date, and jurisdiction of law);

(2) The initial, annual, and other reporting requirement(s) of the mandate, if any; and

(3) The mandated minimum level of investment or public benefits charge for DSM and/or renewable energy.

(b) Minimum investment requirement. The minimum investment must be either:

(1) A mandatory set percentage of customer gross revenues or other specific minimum investment in DSM and/or renewable energy mandated by a State, Tribal, or Federal Government with jurisdictional authority; or

(2) A required public benefits charge, including charges to be collected for and spent on DSM; renewable energy; efficiency and alternative energy-related research and development; low-income energy assistance; and any other applicable public benefits category, mandated by a State, Tribal, or Federal Government with jurisdictional authority. Participation in a public benefits program requires either a mandatory set percentage of customer gross revenues or other specific charges to be applied toward the programs as determined by the applicable State, Tribal, or Federal authority. The revenues from the public benefits charge may be expended directly by the customer, or by another entity on behalf of the customer as determined by the applicable State, Tribal, or Federal authority.

(c) Multi-state entities. For those customers with service territories lying in more than one State or Tribal jurisdiction, and where at least one of the States or Tribal jurisdictions has a mandated minimum investment requirement, to meet this alternative customers must use the highest requirement from the State or Tribe within the customer's service territory and additionally apply it to all members in those States or Tribal jurisdictions in which there is no requirement. Alternatively, if each State or Tribe has a requirement, customers may satisfy Western's requirement by reporting on compliance with each applicable minimum investment requirement. Western will work with multi-state entities to ensure the most effective, and least burdensome, compliance mechanism.

(d) Western's response to minimum investment report requests. Western will respond to requests to accept minimum investment reports within 30 days of receiving the request. If Western disapproves a request to allow use of the minimum investment report, the customer must maintain its currently applicable IRP or small customer plan, or submit its initial IRP no later than 1 year after the date of the disapproval letter. Alternatively, the customer may submit a request for small customer plan or EE/RE report status, as appropriate.

(e) Minimum investment report contents. Reports documenting compliance with a minimum level of investment in DSM and/or renewable energy must include:

(1) Customer name, address, phone number, email and Website if applicable, and contact person;

(2) Authority or requirement to undertake a minimum investment, including the source of the minimum investment requirement (number, title, date, and jurisdiction of law or regulation); and

(3) A description of the minimum investment, including:

(i) Minimum percentage or other minimum requirement for DSM and/or renewable energy, including any charges to be collected for and spent on DSM, renewable energy, efficiency or alternative energy-related research and development, low-income energy assistance, and any other applicable public benefits categories;

(ii) Actual or estimated energy and/or capacity savings resulting from minimum investments in DSM, if known;

(iii) Actual or estimated energy and/or capacity resulting from minimum investments in renewable energy, if known; and

(iv) A description of the DSM and/or renewable energy activities to be undertaken over the next 2 years as a result of the requirement for minimum investment, if known.

(f) Minimum investment report approval. Western will approve the minimum investment report when it meets the requirements in paragraph (e) of this section.

(g) When to submit the minimum investment report. The customer must submit the first minimum investment report to the appropriate Western Regional Manager within 1 year after Western approves the request to accept the minimum investment report. Customers choosing this option must maintain IRP or small customer plan compliance with Western's IRP regulations in effect before May 1, 2000, including submitting annual progress reports or update letters, until submitting the first minimum investment report, to ensure there is no gap in complying with section 114 of EPAct. Customers must submit, in writing, a minimum investment report every 5 years.

(h) Maintaining minimum investment reports. (1) Every year on the anniversary of Western's approval of the first minimum investment report, customers choosing this option must submit a letter to Western verifying that they remain in compliance with the minimum investment requirement. The letter must also contain summary information identifying annual energy and capacity savings associated with minimum investments in DSM, if known, and energy and capacity associated with minimum investments in renewable energy, if known. The letter must also include a revised description of customer DSM and/or renewable energy activities if the description from the minimum investment report has changed or expired.

(2) Western will use the letter for overall program evaluation and to ensure customers remain in compliance. Customers may submit letters outside of the anniversary date if previously agreed to by Western, and if the letter contains all required data for the previous full year. Instead of a separate letter, a customer choosing this option may submit the State, Tribal, or Federal required annual report documenting the minimum investment and associated DSM and/or renewable energy savings and/or use, if known.

(i) Loss of eligibility to submit the minimum investment report. (1) A customer ceases to be eligible to submit a minimum investment report if:

(i) A State, Tribal, or Federal mandate no longer applies to the customer, or

(ii) The customer does not comply with the minimum level of investment in applicable State, Tribal, or Federal law.

(2) Western will work with a customer no longer eligible to submit a minimum investment report to develop an appropriate schedule to submit an IRP or other plan or report required under this subpart.

(a) Requests to submit an EE/RE report. End-use customers may submit a request to prepare an EE/RE report instead of an IRP. Requests to submit EE/RE reports must include data on:

(1) The source of the EE/RE reporting requirement (number, title, date, and jurisdiction of law or regulation);

(2) The initial, annual, and other reporting requirement(s) of the report; and

(3) A summary outline of the EE/RE report's required data or components, including any requirements for documenting customer energy efficiency and renewable energy activities.

(b) EE/RE report requirement. The EE/RE report is based on a mandate by a State, Tribal, or Federal Government to implement energy efficiency and/or renewable energy activities within a specified timeframe, for which there is also an associated reporting requirement. The EE/RE report may include only electrical resource use and energy efficiency and/or renewable energy activities, or may additionally include other resource information, such as water and natural gas data. At a minimum, the EE/RE report must annually document energy efficiency and/or renewable energy activities undertaken by the end-use customer.

(c) Western's response to EE/RE report requests. Western will respond to requests to accept EE/RE reports within 30 days of receiving the request. If Western disapproves a request to allow use of the EE/RE report, the customer must maintain its currently applicable IRP or small customer plan, or submit its initial IRP no later than 1 year after the date of the disapproval letter. Alternatively, the customer may submit a request for small customer plan or minimum investment report, as appropriate, within 30 days after the date of the disapproval letter.

(d) EE/RE report contents. EE/RE reports must include:

(1) Customer name, address, phone number, email and Website if applicable, and contact person;

(2) Authority or requirement to complete the EE/RE report, including the source of the requirement (number, title, date, and jurisdiction of law); and

(3) A description of the customer's required energy efficiency and/or renewable energy activities, including:

(i) Level of investment or expenditure in energy efficiency and/or renewable energy, and quantifiable energy savings or use goals, if defined by the EE/RE reporting requirement;

(ii) Annual actual or estimated energy and/or capacity savings, if any, associated with energy efficiency and resulting from the EE/RE reporting requirement;

(iii) Actual or estimated energy and/or capacity, if any, associated with renewable energy and resulting from the EE/RE reporting requirement;

(iv) A description of the energy efficiency and/or renewable energy activities to be undertaken over the next 2 years as a result of the EE/RE reporting requirement.

(e) EE/RE report approval. Western will approve the EE/RE report when the report meets the requirements in paragraph (d) of this section.

(f) When to submit the EE/RE report. The customer must submit the first EE/RE report to the appropriate Western Regional Manager within 1 year after Western approves the request to accept the EE/RE report. Customers choosing this option must maintain IRP or small customer plan compliance with Western's IRP regulations in effect before May 1, 2000, including submitting annual progress reports or update letters, until submitting the first EE/RE report to ensure there is no gap in complying with section 114 of EPAct. Customers must submit, in writing, an EE/RE report every 5 years.

(g) Maintaining EE/RE reports. (1) Every year on the anniversary of Western's approval of the first EE/RE report, customers choosing this option must submit an annual EE/RE letter to Western. The letter must contain summary information identifying customer annual energy and capacity savings associated with energy efficiency, if any, and annual customer energy and capacity associated with renewable energy, if any. The letter must also verify that the customer remains in compliance with the EE/RE reporting requirement. Additionally, the letter must include a revised description of customer DSM and/or renewable energy activities if the description from the EE/RE report has changed or expired. If this information is contained in an EE/RE report sent to another authority, the customer may submit that report instead of a separate letter.

(2) Customers may submit annual EE/RE letters outside of the anniversary date if previously agreed to by Western if the letter contains all required data for the previous full year.

(h) Loss of eligibility to submit the EE/RE report. (1) A customer ceases to be eligible to submit a EE/RE report if:

(i) The EE/RE reporting requirement no longer applies to the customer, or

(ii) The customer does not comply with the EE/RE reporting requirements in applicable State, Tribal, or Federal law.

(2) Western will work with a customer no longer eligible to submit an EE/RE report to develop an appropriate schedule to submit a small customer plan or other plan or report required under this subpart.

(a) Approval criteria. Western will approve all plans and reports based upon:

(1) Whether the plan or report satisfactorily addresses the criteria in the regulations in this subpart; and

(2) The reasonableness of the plan or report given the size, type, resource needs, geographic area, and competitive situation of the customer.

(b) Review of resource choices. Western will review resource choices using section 114 of EPAct and this subpart. Western will disapprove plans and reports if Western deems that they do not meet the reasonableness criteria in paragraph (a)(2) of this section or the provisions of section 114 of EPAct.

(c) Accepting plans and reports under other initiatives. If a customer or group of customers implements integrated resource planning under a program responding to other Federal, Tribal, or State initiatives, Western will accept and approve the plan or report as long as it substantially complies with the requirements of this subpart.

(d) Water-based plans and reports. In evaluating a plan or report, Western will consider water planning, efficiency improvements, and conservation in the same manner it considers energy planning and efficiencies. Customers that provide water utility services and customers that service irrigation load as part of their overall load may include water conservation activities in their plans or reports. To the extent practical, customers should convert reported water savings to energy values.

Western will review all plans and reports submitted under this subpart and notify the submitting entity of the plan's or report's acceptability within 120 days after receiving it. If a plan or report submittal is insufficient, Western will provide a notice of deficiencies to the entity that submitted the plan or report. Western, working together with the entity, will determine the time allowable for resubmitting the plan or report. However, the time allowed for resubmittal will not be greater than 9 months after the disapproval date, unless otherwise provided by applicable contract language.

(a) Good faith effort to comply. If it appears that a customer's activities may be inconsistent with the applicable IRP, small customer plan, minimum investment report or EE/RE report, Western will notify the customer and offer the customer 30 days to provide evidence of its good faith effort to comply. If the customer does not correct the specified deficiency or submit such evidence, or if Western finds, after receiving information from the customer, that a good faith effort has not been made, Western will impose a penalty.

(b) Penalties for noncompliance. Western will impose a penalty on long-term firm power customers for failing to submit or resubmit an acceptable IRP and action plan, small customer plan, minimum investment report or EE/RE report as required by this subpart. Western will also impose a penalty when the customer's activities are not consistent with the applicable plan or report unless Western finds that a good faith effort has been made to comply with the approved plan or report.

(c) Written notification of penalty. Western will provide written notice of a penalty to the customer, and to the MBA or IRP cooperative when applicable. The notice will specify the reasons for the penalty.

(d) Penalty options. (1) Beginning with the first full billing period following the notice specified in paragraph (c) of this section, Western will impose a surcharge of 10 percent of the monthly power charges until the deficiency specified in the notice is cured, or until 12 months pass. However, Western will not immediately impose a penalty if the customer or its MBA or IRP cooperative requests reconsideration by filing a written appeal under § 905.21.

(2) The surcharge increases to 20 percent for the second 12 months and to 30 percent per year thereafter until the deficiency is cured.

(3) After the first 12 months of the surcharge and instead of imposing any further surcharge, Western may impose a penalty that would reduce the resource delivered under a customer's long-term firm power contract(s) by 10 percent. Western may impose this resource reduction either:

(i) When it appears to be more effective to ensure customer compliance, or

(ii) When such reduction may be more cost-effective for Western.

(4) The penalty provisions in existing contracts will continue to be in effect and administered and enforced according to applicable contract provisions.

(e) Assessing and ceasing penalties. Western will assess the surcharge on the total charges for all power obtained by a customer from Western and will not be limited to surcharges on only firm power sales. When a customer resolves the deficiencies, Western will cease imposing the penalty, beginning with the first full billing period after compliance is achieved.

(f) Penalties on MBAs and IRP cooperatives. In situations involving a plan or report submitted by an MBA on behalf of its members where a single member does not comply, Western will impose a penalty upon the MBA on a pro rata basis in proportion to that member's share of the total MBA's power received from Western. In situations involving noncompliance by a participant of an IRP cooperative, Western will impose any applicable penalty directly upon that participant if it has a firm power contract with Western. If the IRP cooperative participant does not have a firm power contract with Western, then Western will impose a penalty upon the participant's MBA on a pro rata basis in proportion to that participant's share of the total MBA's power received from Western.

(a) Filing written appeals with Western. If a customer disagrees with Western's decision on the acceptability of its IRP, small customer plan, minimum investment report or EE/RE report submittal, its compliance with an approved plan or report, or any other compliance issue, the customer may request reconsideration by filing a written appeal with the appropriate Regional Manager. Customers may submit appeals any time such disagreements occur and should be specific as to the nature of the issue, the reasons for the disagreement, and any other pertinent facts the customer believes should be brought to Western's attention. The Regional Manager will respond within 45 days of receiving the appeal. If resolution is not achieved at the Regional Office level, the customer may appeal to the Administrator, who will respond within 30 days of receiving the appeal.

(b) Alternative dispute resolution. Upon request, Western will agree to use mutually agreeable alternative dispute resolution procedures, to the extent allowed by law, to resolve issues or disputes relating to compliance with the regulations in this subpart.

(c) Penalties during appeal. Western will not impose a penalty while an appeal process is pending. However, if the appeal is unsuccessful for the customer, Western will impose the penalty retroactively from the date the penalty would have been assessed if an appeal had not been filed.

(d) Meeting other requirements during appeal process. A written appeal or use of alternative dispute resolution procedures does not suspend other reporting and compliance requirements.

(a) Periodic review of customer actions. Western will periodically evaluate customer actions to determine whether they are consistent with the approved IRP or minimum investment report. Small customer plans and EE/RE reports are not subject to this periodic review.

(b) Reviewing representative samples of plans and reports. Western will periodically review a representative sample of IRPs and minimum investment reports, and the customer's implementation of the applicable plan or report from each of Western's Regions. The samples will reflect the diverse characteristics and circumstances of the customers that purchase power from Western. These reviews will be in addition to, and separate and apart from, the review of initial and updated IRPs and minimum investment reports to ensure compliance with this subpart.

(c) Scope of periodic reviews. Periodic reviews may consist of any combination of review of the customer's annual IRP progress reports, minimum investment letters, telephone interviews, or on-site visits. Western will document these periodic reviews and may report on the results of the reviews in Western's annual report.

IRPs, small customer plans, minimum investment reports and EE/RE reports and associated data submitted to Western are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and may be made available to the public upon request. IRPs must be posted on a customer's publicly available Web site or on Western's Web site. Customers posting their IRPs on their own Web site must notify Western of this decision when they submit their IRP. A hotlink on Western's Web site to IRPs posted on customer Web sites gives interested parties ready access to those IRPs. Western will post on its Web site the IRPs of customers that do not post on their own Web sites. Prior to posting, Western will provide the customer the opportunity to submit its views on whether information contained in the IRP is exempt from the FOIA's mandatory public disclosure requirements. Customers may request confidential treatment of all or part of a submitted document consistent with FOIA exemptions. Western will determine whether particular information is exempt from public access. Western will not disclose to the public information it has determined to be exempt, recognizing that certain competition-related customer information may be proprietary.

Yes, Western may periodically initiate a public process to review the regulations in this subpart to determine whether they should be revised to reflect changes in technology, needs, or other developments.