SIXTH FLOOR, 900 HOWE STREET, BOX 250 VANCOUVER, B.C. V6Z 2N3 CANADA web site: http://www.bcuc.com IN THE MATTER OF the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473 and An Application by Terasen Gas Inc. for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Customer Care Enhancement Project Insourcing of Customer Care Services and Implementation of a New Customer Information System BEFORE: A.A. Rhodes, Panel Chair/Commissioner D.A. Cote, Commissioner R.J. Milbourne, Commissioner O R D E R WHEREAS: A. On June 2, 2009, Terasen Gas Inc. (“Terasen Gas”) filed an Application pursuant to section 45 of the Utilities Commission Act (the “Act”), for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (“CPCN”) (the “Application”) for the Customer Care Enhancement Project (“Project”); and B. The Project involves insourcing of key components of customer care services and the implementation of a new customer information system (“CIS”) under the control of Terasen Gas; and C. The total Project implementation costs are estimated to be one hundred and fifty five million dollars including an allowance for funds used during construction (“AFUDC”); and D. Terasen Gas seeks approval for the creation of a non‐rate base deferral account attracting AFUDC and approval to record incremental operating and maintenance (“O&M”) costs associated with the Project that are incurred prior to the Project implementation date of January 1, 2012 for the purposes of permitting cost recovery; and E. Terasen Gas seeks approval pursuant to sections 59‐61 of the Act for the creation of a rate base deferral account into which the accumulated amount in the non‐rate base deferral account will be transferred, effective the Project implementation date, for the purpose of recovering costs through customer rates; and F. Terasen Gas asserts in the Application that: its customer care function is a vital part of providing service to its customers, and consequently represents a core element of its business; in order for Terasen Gas to continue to serve its customers well, it needs to adapt and change as customers require new and different services; and underpinning this ability to provide service excellence is its CIS technology platform; and G. Terasen Gas concludes from its review of available outsourcing models, conducted with the assistance of experienced consultants, that bringing the core elements of the customer care function into Terasen Gas and implementing a new CIS technology platform under its control, is in the best interests of both the customers and Terasen Gas; and BRIT I SH COLU MBIA U T I L I T I ES COM MISS ION ORDER NUMBER G ‐68‐09 TELEPHONE: (604) 660‐4700 BC TOLL FREE: 1‐800‐663‐1385 FACSIMILE: (604) 660‐1102 June 4, 2009 …/2
BRIT ISH COLUMBIA UTIL IT IES COMMISS ION ORDER 2 NUMBER G‐68‐09 H. Terasen Gas proposes a Workshop to review the Application be held on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 in the Commission Hearing Room on the 12 th floor, 1125 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC; and I. Terasen Gas proposes a Procedural Conference be held on Monday, June 22, 2009 in the Commission Hearing Room on the 12 th floor, 1125 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC; and J. Terasen Gas proposes a DRAFT regulatory timetable attached as Appendix A for discussion at the Procedural Conference; and K. The Commission considers that setting a Workshop and a Procedural Conference to determine the appropriate regulatory process for the review of the Application is necessary and in the public interest. NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows: 1. A Workshop to review of the Application will be held on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, commencing at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Hearing Room on the 12th Floor, 1125 Howe Street, Vancouver, B.C. 2. A Procedural Conference regarding the regulatory process for the review of the Application will be held on Tuesday, June 23, 2009, commencing at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Hearing Room on the 12th Floor, 1125 Howe Street, Vancouver, B.C. The Procedural Conference will address matters such as: a. steps and timetable associated with the regulatory review process; and b. other matters that will assist the Commission to efficiently review the Application. 3. The Commission requires Terasen Gas to publish, as soon as possible, in display‐ad format, the Notice attached as Appendix B to this Order in the Vancouver Sun, the Province, the Victoria Times Colonist and such other appropriate local news publications as may properly provide adequate notice to customers served in the affected service area. 4. The Application, together with any supporting materials, will be made available for inspection at the Terasen Gas Office, 16705 Fraser Highway, Surrey, BC, V4N 0E8 and at the British Columbia Utilities Commission, Sixth Floor, 900 Howe Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6Z 2N3 and will also be available on the Terasen Gas website. 5. Intervenors or Interested Parties should register with the Commission, in writing or by electronic submission, by Monday, June 15, 2009, and advise whether they intend to attend the Procedural Conference. Intervenors should specifically state the nature of their interest in the Application and identify generally the nature of the issues that they may intend to pursue during the proceeding and the nature and extent of their anticipated involvement in the review process. DATED at the City of Vancouver, In the Province of British Columbia, this 4 th day of June 2009. BY ORDER Original signed by: A.A. Rhodes Attachments Panel Chair/Commissioner
An Application by Terasen Gas Inc. for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Customer Care Enhancement Project Insourcing of Customer Care Services and Implementation of a New Customer Information System PROPOSED REGULATORY TIMETABLE (Procedural Conference Date was amended to June 23, 2009) ACTION File Application Procedural Order (up to Procedural Conference) Intervenor Registration Workshop (Day 1) Procedural Conference Procedural Order (Timetable and Process) BCUC IR No. 1 Intervenor IR No. 1 TGI Response to Information Requests (IRs )No. 1 BCUC IR No. 2 (if Required) Intervenor IR No. 2 (if Required) TGI Response to IRs No. 2 (if Required) Planned Evidentiary Update Planned Evidentiary Update Workshop BCUC IR No. 3 (on Planned Evidentiary Update) Intervenor IR No. 3 (on Planned Evidentiary Update) TGI Response to IRs No. 3 (on Evidentiary Update) TGI Final Argument Submissions Intervenor Final Argument Submissions TGI Reply Argument Submissions Anticipated BCUC Decision APPENDIX A to Order G‐68‐09 Page 1 of 1 DATE (2009) Tuesday, June 2, 2009 Tuesday, June 9, 2009 Monday, June 15, 2009 Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Wednesday, June 24, 2009 Friday, June 26, 2009 Wednesday, July 8, 2009 Thursday, July 23, 2009 Friday, August 7, 2009 Friday, August 7, 2009 Monday, August 24, 2009 Friday, August 28, 2009 Thursday, September 3, 2009 Friday, September 11, 2009 Friday, September 11, 2009 Friday, September 25, 2009 Friday, October 2, 2009 Friday, October 16, 2009 Friday, October 30, 2009 Monday, November 30, 2009
APPENDIX B to Order G‐68‐09 Page 1 of 2 TELEPHONE: (604) 660‐4700 SIXTH FLOOR, 900 HOWE STREET, BOX 250 BC TOLL FREE: 1‐800‐663‐1385 VANCOUVER, B.C. V6Z 2N3 CANADA FACSIMILE: (604) 660‐1102 web site: http://www.bcuc.com An Application by Terasen Gas Inc. for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Customer Care Enhancement Project Insourcing of Customer Care Services and Implementation of a New Customer Information System NOTICE OF WORKSHOP AND PROCEDURAL CONFERENCE Date: Workshop: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Procedural Conference: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Time: 9:00 a.m. Location: BC Utilities Commission Hearing Room 12 th Floor, 1125 Howe Street Vancouver, B.C. THE APPLICATION On June 3, 2009, Terasen Gas Inc. (“Terasen Gas”) filed an Application pursuant to section 45 of the Utilities Commission Act (the “Act”), for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (“CPCN”) (the “Application”) for the Customer Care Enhancement Project (“Project”). Terasen Gas requests approval for: • the insourcing of key components of customer care services and the implementation of a new customer information system under the control of Terasen Gas with estimated total Project implementation costs of one hundred and fifty five million dollars; and • the creation of a non‐rate base deferral account attracting allowance for funds used during construction (“AFUDC”) and approval to record incremental operating and maintenance (“O&M”) costs associated with the Project that are incurred prior to the Project implementation date of January 1, 2012 for the purposes of permitting cost recovery; and • pursuant to sections 59 – 61 of the Act for the creation of a rate base deferral account into which the accumulated amount in the non‐rate base deferral account will be transferred on the implementation date, for the purpose of recovering costs through customer rates. THE REGULATORY PROCESS The Commission has established a Workshop, a Procedural Conference and a DRAFT Regulatory Timetable for the regulatory review of the Application. The Regulatory Timetable can be viewed on the Commission’s web site at www.bcuc.com.
APPENDIX B to Order G‐68‐09 Page 2 of 2 Terasen Gas will hold a Workshop on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 commencing at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Hearing Room on the 12th Floor, 1125 Howe Street, Vancouver, B.C. The Commission will hold a Procedural Conference regarding the further regulatory process for the review of the Application on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 commencing at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Hearing Room on the 12th Floor, 1125 Howe Street, Vancouver, B.C. INTERVENTION Persons who expect to actively participate in the Terasen Gas proceeding should register as Intervenors with the Commission, and should identify the issues that they intend to pursue as well as the nature and extent of their anticipated involvement in the review process indicating whether they plan to attend the Procedural Conference. Intervenors will receive email notice of all correspondence, filed documentation and should provide an e‐mail address, if available. Persons not expecting to actively participate, but who have an interest in the proceeding, should register as Interested Parties. Intervenors and Interested Parties should register in writing, no later than Monday, June 15, 2009. Notification by mail, courier delivery, fax or e‐mail is acceptable. 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 material, including Commission correspondence, will be made available for inspection at the at the Terasen Gas Inc. Office, 16705 Fraser Highway, Surrey, B.C., V4N 0E8 and at the British Columbia Utilities Commission, Sixth Floor, 900 Howe Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6Z 2N3. The Application will also be available for viewing on the Terasen Gas website at www.terasengas.com and on the Commission’s website at www.bcuc.com. The Application and supporting materials will be available for inspection at the following locations: British Columbia Utilities Commission, Sixth Floor, 900 Howe Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 2N3 Telephone: 1‐800‐663‐1385 Internet: www.bcuc.com Terasen Gas Office, 16705 Fraser Highway Surrey, BC V6N 0E8 Internet www.terasengas.com For further information, please contact Ms. Erica Hamilton, Commission Secretary, as follows: Telephone: (604) 660‐4700 BC Toll Free: 1‐800‐663‐1385 Facsimile: (604) 660‐1102 E‐mail: Commission.Secretary@bcuc.com
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.