Mr.  Larkin-Connolly was responsible for reviewing these proposed regulatory mechanisms.  Given the Department's standard of basing rates on an historic test year, the focus on his investigation was whether the Company had presented a sufficient reason for needing to break from this tradition.  He presented his analysis on the impact of using a future test year versus the historic test year to the Department's Commissioners in order to provide them the necessary background information for making a decision on the Company's proposal.  Also, in response to the Company’s failure to meet the Department’s expectations to increase leak-prone pipe replacement under its existing capital tracker mechanism, he helped develop an annual mileage threshold the Company will have to meet in order to earn recovery of the investments outside of a rate case.  In addition, Mr. Larkin-Connolly reviewed the plant additions the Company proposed to add to rate base.  This review included an examination of project reports and cost-variance analysis for 272 projects with costs greater than $50,000.