Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473

and

An Application by British Columbia Transmission Corporation

for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

for the Vancouver City Central Transmission Project

BEFORE:                       A.A. Rhodes, Commissioner/Panel Chair

L.A. O’Hara, Commissioner                                  January 13, 2010

                                        A.J. Pullman, Commissioner

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.     On September 21, 2009, the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (“BCTC”) applied (the “Application”), pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (the “Act”), to the Commission for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (“CPCN”) to construct and operate the Vancouver City Central Transmission Project (the “VCCT Project”) as described in this Application; and

B.     BCTC is proposing the VCCT Project as the preferred solution to: i) serve load growth in the Mount Pleasant/South False Creek area, ii) resolve reliability concerns associated with the end of life condition of the Main Street distribution duct banks being used to serve the Mount Pleasant/South False Creek area, and iii) resolve reliability concerns in view of the zero-rating of transmission circuit 2L53; and

C.     The VCCT Project as originally filed, had an estimated capital cost of approximately $174 million and a further $27 million to be incurred for British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority’s Substation Distribution Assets (“SDA”) which were not at that time the subject of the Application, and included the construction of a new Mount Pleasant substation and a new transmission line approximately 8 km in length that follows the route described in the Application as Route Option B; and

D.     In the F2010/2011 BCTC Capital Plan Decision, dated July 13, 2009, the Commission directed BCTC to work with BC Hydro to either accept its proposal to have BCTC or BC Hydro seek regulatory approval for the entire project, including both transmission and SDA components, or develop an alternative approach and directed BCTC and BC Hydro to provide their report within 90 days from the date of Decision; and

E.      On October 21, 2009, BCTC filed amendments to its Application to incorporate an application for an order issuing a CPCN to BC Hydro for the construction and operation of the VCCT Substation Distribution Assets; and

F.      On Wednesday, November 25, 2009, the Commission held a Procedural Conference to hear submissions on the appropriate regulatory process for the review of the Application; and

G.     On December 16, 2009, the Commission Panel amended the Regulatory Timetable of written public hearing process for the review of the Application; and

H.     On January 12, 2010, the Protest New Powerlines (“PNP”) requested permission from the Commission for an extension of its deadline on “Submission of Intervenor Evidence” to Tuesday, January 19.  The PNP also filed a letter from BCTC dated January 5, 2010, in which BCTC stated that it would consent to an extension, for that evidence only, to January 19, 2010; and

I.       The Commission has considered the request from PNP and concludes that amending the Regulatory Timetable for the review of the Application would be in the public interest.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission amends the written public hearing process for the review of the Application, in accordance with the Amended Regulatory Timetable attached as Appendix A to this Order. 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this    13^th        day of January 2010.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

                                                                                                                                  Original signed by:

                                                                                                                                A.A. Rhodes

                                                                                                                                Commissioner

Attachment

An Application by British Columbia Transmission Corporation

for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

for the Vancouver City Central Transmission Project

AMENDED REGULATORY TIMETABLE