BRITISH COL UMBIA UTILITIES COM MISSION ORDER NUMBER G -163-07 SIXTH FLOOR, 900 HOWE STREET, BOX 250 TELEPHONE: (604) 660-4700 VANCOUVER, B.C. V6Z 2N3 CANADA BC TOLL FREE: 1-800-663-1385 web site: http://www.bcuc.com FACSIMILE: (604) 660-1102 IN THE MATTER OF the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473 and An Application by an Application by British Columbia Transmission Corporation for Approval to Incur Capital Expenditures to Construct the 5L51 and 5L52 Thermal Upgrade Project BEFORE: R.H. Hobbs, Chair L.A. O’Hara, Commissioner December 24, 2007 O R D E R WHEREAS: A. On December 12, 2007, British Columbia Transmission Corporation (“BCTC”) applied, pursuant to section 45(6.2)(b) of the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, c.473 and as directed in the F2008 Capital Plan Decision, for public interest approval of capital expenditures for a thermal upgrade of transmission circuits 5L51 and 5L52 (the “Thermal Upgrade Project”); and B. The Thermal Upgrade Project involves upgrading the 500 kV 5L51 and 5L52 transmission circuits that comprise the Ingledow-Custer transmission tie, also referred to as the western tie of the B.C.-U.S. intertie. The circuits connect the Ingledow substation in the BCTC Control Area to the Custer substation in the Bonneville Power Administration (“BPA”) Control Area. By increasing the circuit ratings of 5L51 and 5L52 from 2,520 and 2,000 Amperes respectively, to 3,000 Amperes, the upgrade will result in an additional 870 Megawatts (“MW”) of south-to-north firm transmission capacity on the B.C.-U.S. intertie, thereby accruing net benefits to ratepayers from the sale of additional transmission services to market participants; and C. The estimated cost for the Thermal Upgrade Project is $3.1 million based on the preferred Upgrade Option 2 and the expected in-service date is March 31, 2010; and D. Special Direction No. 9 (“SD-9”) authorizes the Commission to consider, as part of the justification for investment in new transmission facilities, the anticipated future demand for electricity and electricity services. The SD-9 also authorizes the Commission to allow the recovery of costs from current rates, which are justified based on future benefits from proposed equipment or facilities; and E. While the Thermal Upgrade Project is the first project to be advanced for approval under BCTC’s Transmission Expansion Policy (“TEP”), BCTC is not seeking approval of the TEP or its TEP implementation plan; and . . ./2
2 F. National Energy Board (“NEB”) public interest approval for the project is required before construction can commence because 5L51 and 5L52 are international power lines; and G. BCTC proposes to seek NEB approval for the Thermal Upgrade Project only if the Commission grants the relief sought in this Application; and H. Considering the estimated cost, size and unique nature of the Thermal Upgrade Project, the Commission has determined that the regulatory review of the Application should proceed by a Written Public Hearing. NOW THEREFORE pursuant to Sections 45(6.2) (b) of the Utilities Commission Act, the Commission orders as follows: 1. The Commission establishes a Written Public Hearing process for the review of the BCTC Application according to the Regulatory Timetable set out in Appendix A to this Order. 2. BCTC will publish, as soon as it is possible to do so, in display ad format, the Notice of Application and Written Public Hearing attached as Appendix B to this Order in local news publications that will provide adequate notice to the public in the vicinity of the Project. 3. Persons wishing to be Intervenors or Interested Parties in the proceeding should register, in writing, with the Commission by Thursday, January 17, 2008. DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24 Attachments Order/G-163-07_BCTC Thermal Upgrade Project BRITISH COLUMBIA UTILITIES COMMISSION ORDER NUMBER G-163-07 th day of December 2007. BY ORDER Original signed by Robert H. Hobbs Chair
An Application by British Columbia Transmission Corporation for Approval to Incur Capital Expenditures to Construct the 5L51 and 5L52 Thermal Upgrade Project REGULATORY TIMETABLE ACTION Intervenor and Interested Party Registration Commission Information Requests Intervenor Information Requests BCTC Responses to Information Requests Intervenor Participant Assistance Budgets BCTC Final Written Submission Intervenor Final Written Submissions BCTC Reply Written Submission APPENDIX A to Order No. G-163-07 Page 1 of 1 DATE (2008) Thursday, January 17 Thursday, January 24 Thursday, January 31 Thursday, February 14 Friday, February 15 Friday, February 29 Friday, March 7 Friday, March 14
APPENDIX B to Order No. G-163-07 Page 1 of 2 SIXTH FLOOR, 900 HOWE STREET, BOX 250 VANCOUVER, B.C. V6Z 2N3 CANADA TELEPHONE: (604) 660-4700 web site: http://www.bcuc.com BC TOLL FREE: 1-800-663-1385 FACSIMILE: (604) 660-1102 An Application by the British Columbia Transmission Corporation for Approval to Incur Capital Expenditures to Construct the 5L51 and 5L52 Thermal Upgrade Project NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND WRITTEN PUBLIC HEARING THE APPLICATION On December 12, 2007, British Columbia Transmission Corporation (“BCTC”) applied, pursuant to section 45(6.2)(b) of the Utilities Commission Act, and as directed by the Commission, for public interest approval of capital expenditures for a thermal upgrade of transmission circuits 5L51 and 5L52 (the “Thermal Upgrade Project”). The Thermal Upgrade Project involves upgrading the 500 kV 5L51 and 5L52 transmission circuits that comprise the Ingledow - Custer transmission tie, also referred to as the western tie of the B.C.-U.S. intertie. The upgrade will result in an additional 870 Megawatts of south-to-north firm transmission capacity on the B.C.-U.S. intertie. The estimated cost for the Thermal Upgrade Project is $3.1 million, and the expected in-service date is March 31, 2010. Field work required for the project involves the raising of ten existing towers, installation of one new tower and re-tensioning of the conductors on three spans. No ground contour work or substation work is required, and there will be no plant retirements or removal of assets. The proposed field work is to be performed on the transmission line between Ingledow Substation located at 12430 88th Ave., Surrey, B.C. and Bonneville Power Administration Custer Substation located at 7357 Portal Way in Custer, WA. National Energy Board (“NEB”) public interest approval for the project is nevertheless required before construction can commence because 5L51 and 5L52 are international power lines. BCTC proposes to seek NEB approval for the Thermal Upgrade Project only if the Commission grants the relief sought in this Application. THE REGULATORY PROCESS Commission Order No. G-163-07 established the Regulatory Timetable for the review of the Application by way of a Written Public Hearing. The detailed Regulatory Timetable can be reviewed on the Commission’s website http://www.bcuc.com >Proceedings&Agendas>Current Applications.
APPENDIX B to Order No. G-163-07 Page 2 of 2 INTERVENTIONS Persons who expect to actively participate in the BCTC proceeding should register as Intervenors with the Commission, in writing, by Thursday, January 17, 2008 identifying their interest in the Application. Intervenors will receive copies of the Application as well as all correspondence and filed documentation and should provide an e-mail address if available. Persons not expecting to actively participate in the BCTC proceeding, but who have an interest in the Application, should register as Interested Parties with the Commission, in writing, by Thursday, January 17, 2008 identifying their interest in the Application. Interested Parties will receive a copy of the Executive Summary of the Application and all Orders issued. All submissions and/or correspondence received from active participants or the general public relating to the Application will be placed on the public record and posted to the Commission’s web site. PUBLIC INSPECTION OF THE DOCUMENTS The Application and supporting materials will be available for inspection at the following locations: British Columbia Transmission Corporation British Columbia Utilities Commission PO Box 49260 Sixth Floor, 900 Howe Street Suite 1100, Four Bentall Centre Vancouver, BC V6Z 2N3 1055 Dunsmuir Street Telephone: 1-800-663-1385 Vancouver, BC V7X 1V5 http://www.bcuc.com Attention: Marcel Reghelini, Director, Regulatory Affairs FURTHER INFORMATION For further information, please contact Erica Hamilton, Commission Secretary or Mr. Donald Flintoff, Senior Electrical Engineer, Engineering and Energy Markets as follows: Commission Secretary Mr. Donald Flintoff Telephone: (604) 660-4700 Email: don.flintoff@bcuc.com Facsimile: (604) 660-1102 Telephone: (604) 660-4700 E-mail: Commission.Secretary@bcuc.com BC Toll Free: 1-800-663-1385
You are being directed to the most recent version of the statute which may not be the version considered at the time of the judgment.