Opinion by
On November 23, 1983 the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC or Commission) entered a final Order in Pennsylvania Public Utility Commis
Subsequently, on December 21, 1983, the OCA filed a Petition for Review of the Commission’s November 23, 1983 final order on four grounds, which are as follows:
(a) the inclusion in the rate base of $70.8 million in investment in nuclear fuel in process;
(b) the inclusion in rate base of $20.9 million in construction work in progress on transmission facilities ;
(c) the recovery of $10 million in expenses for future costs of terminating leases on gas turbines presently in service; and
(d) the inclusion in the rate base of $7.4 million in land held for future use.
PECO then filed a praecipe to strike the OCA’s Petition for Review pursuant to Pa. R.A.P. 1701(b)(3) which provides, in pertinent part:
A timely order granting reconsideration under this paragraph shall render inoperative any*554 such, notice of appeal or petition for allowance of appeal or petition for review of a quasi-judicial order theretofore or thereafter filed or docketed with respect to the prior order, and the clerk of any court in which such an inoperative notice or petition is filed or docketed shall upon praecipe of any party note on the docket that such notice or petition has been stricken under this rule.
PECO advances the argument that the PU.C’s decision regarding the treatment given the company’s consolidated income tax expense, albeit only one element of PECO’s total revenue requirements, would, necessarily and significantly impact upon the PUO’s ultimate determination of just and reasonable rates. Therefore in any adjudication by this Court of the four issues under judicial review, an indispensable element would be missing in our determination of (1) whether said rates produce a total revenue level which is confiscatory when viewed against the financial condition and requirements of PECO, and (,2) whether said rates are based upon a revenue requirement which has been determined consistent with applicable legal requirements for the determination of rate base, expense and cost of equity issues.
The OCA argues to the contrary, that the singular issue concerning the treatment of PECO’s consolidated tax return is not so inextricably entwined in the ultimate determination of a just and reasonable rate that it would preclude, or even impede, judicial review of the other four issues which form the basis of the Petition for Review. We are inclined to agree.
The decision which must be made at this stage of the administrative and judicial review, since both are presently operative on the bifurcated issues, requires us to determine in a preliminary proceeding, what
In any case, we do not construe Pa. R.A.P. 1701(b)(3) as rendering inoperative issues on appeal which were not the subject of an application for reconsideration. Indeed, we understand that Bell’s claim for the $9.4 million in revenues not allowed in PUC’s original order was not raised in Bell’s appeal. Surely, Rule R.A.P. 1701(b)(3)(ii) was not intended to render inoperative on appeal of issues which were not the subject of a request for reconsideration; and we certainly did not intend to so hold. (Emphasis added.)
See Walter W. Cohen v. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, (No. 362 C.D. 1982, filed March 9, 1982).
Accordingly, the praecipe to strike the petition for review filed by PECO is hereby denied.
Now, March 21, 1984, the praecipe to strike the petition for review filed by PECO is hereby denied.
In paragraph 7(d) of the Petition for Review the OCA specifically stated:
As the issue of consolidated taxes is presently under consideration by the Commission, that issue has been specifically excluded from the present Petition for Review in accordance with the provisions of Pa. R.A.P. 1701(b)(3).
