Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

 

and

 

Assessment Report No. 3 by the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

and the Determination of Reliability Standards for Adoption in British Columbia

 

 

BEFORE:                 L.F. Kelsey, Commissioner

                                D. Morton, Commissioner

                                C. Brown, Commissioner                                                     March 31, 2011

                                N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner

 

O  R  D  E  R

 

WHEREAS:

 

A.    Pursuant to section 125.2(2) of the Utilities Commission Act (the Act) the British Columbia Utilities Commission (the Commission) has exclusive jurisdiction to determine whether a “reliability standard”, as defined in the Act, is in the public interest and should be adopted in British Columbia;

 

B.     In order to facilitate the Commission’s consideration of reliability standards, the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC)/British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) is required under section 125.2(3) of the Act to review each reliability standard and provide the Commission with a report assessing:

 

(a)     any adverse impact of the reliability standard on the reliability of electricity transmission in British Columbia if the reliability standard were adopted;

 

(b)     the suitability of the reliability standard for British Columbia;

 

(c)     the potential cost of the reliability standard if it were adopted;

 

(d)     any other matter prescribed by regulation or identified by order of the Commission;

 

C.      On March 27, 2009 BCTC/BC Hydro filed with the Commission an Assessment Report on 103 reliability standards pursuant to BCTC/BC Hydro’s obligations under section 125.2(3) of the Act;

 

D.      Commission Order G-33-09 set down the review process for this filing and Order G-67-09 subsequently approved the 103 standards as mandatory for British Columbia;

 

E.     On February 23, 2010 BCTC/BC Hydro filed a report (the Assessment Report 2) pursuant to section 125.2(3) of the Act, assessing twenty-three reliability standards developed by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC).  Twenty-two of the standards assessed are revisions to previously approved standards and one standard is new;

F.     On July 5, 2010 BC Hydro assumed all obligations of BCTC;

 

G.    On March 3, 2011 BC Hydro submitted Mandatory Reliability Standards (MRS) Assessment Report No. 3;

 

F.     Pursuant to section 125.2(5)(a) of the Act, the Commission will post the Assessment Report No. 3 on its website at www.bcuc.com and invites public comments on the Assessment Report;

 

E.     The Commission wishes to establish a Regulatory Timetable for public comment and review of the reliability standards assessed in the Assessment Report No. 3.

 

 

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:

 

1.     In accordance with the Regulatory Timetable attached as Appendix A to this Order, any person wishing to comment on the reliability standards assessed in the Assessment Report No. 3, must deliver written comments to the Commission by no later than Monday, May 2, 2011 with a copy to BC Hydro at the following address:

 

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

16^th Floor, 333 Dunsmuir Street

Vancouver, BC   V6B 5R3

Email:     bchydroregulatorygroup@bchydro.com

                Attention:      Ms. Joanna Sofield

                                        Chief Regulatory Officer

 

2.     BC Hydro will file with the Commission any comments in response to the public comments received, by no later than Monday, May 16, 2011.

 

3.     The Commission may, if it considers necessary, deliver information requests to BC Hydro and/or person(s) who have submitted comments.  Any such information requests will be delivered by Monday, May 30, 2011, and recipients of the information requests must reply by Monday, June 13, 2011.

 

4.     BC Hydro will publish, in a cost-effective manner, the Notice of Assessment Report No. 3 and Process for Public Comments that is attached as Appendix B to this Order, in the Vancouver Sun, the Victoria Times Colonist, the Province, and such other local newspapers as will provide sufficient coverage of its service area, as soon as it is practical to do so.

 

5.     BC Hydro will send a letter of notification to each entity who replied to its Assessment Report No. 3 consultation process advising them of the Report filing and the Commission’s review process.

 

6.     BC Hydro is to file Microsoft Word Versions of the Standards listed in Assessment Report No. 3.

 

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                         7^th                 day of April 2011.

 

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

                                                                                                                                Original signed by:

                                                                                                                                L.F. Kelsey

                                                                                                                                Commissioner

Attachments

 

Assessment Report No. 3 by the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

and the Determination of Reliability Standards for Adoption in British Columbia

 

 

Regulatory Timetable

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment Report No. 3 by the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

and the Determination of Reliability Standards for Adoption in British Columbia

 

 

NOTICE OF ASSESSMENT REPORT NO. 3 AND PROCESS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS

 

 

On March 3, 2011 British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed its Assessment Report No. 3 on 20 reliability standards developed by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC).  Nineteen standards are revisions to previously approved standards and one standard is new.

 

The Commission has posted BC Hydro’s Assessment Report on its website at www.bcuc.com, and invites public comments on the reliability standards assessed in Assessment Report No. 3.

 

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS

 

Commission Order G-66-11 establishes a Regulatory Timetable and process for comments.  Any person wishing to comment on BC Hydro’s Assessment Report No. 3 and the reliability standards that are assessed in it must deliver written comments to the Commission by no later than Monday, May 2, 2011 with a copy to BC Hydro at the following address:

 

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

16^th Floor, 333 Dunsmuir Street

Vancouver, BC   V6B 5R3

Email:     bchydroregulatorygroup@bchydro.com

                Attention:      Ms. Sandra Jones

                                        Manager, Regulatory Affairs

 

All written comments on Assessment Report No. 3 will be placed on the public record and posted to the Commission’s website.

 

PUBLIC INSPECTION OF THE ASSESSMENT REPORT

 

Assessment Report No. 3 is available for inspection at the following locations:

 

 

FURTHER INFORMATION

 

For further information, please contact Ms. Erica Hamilton, Commission Secretary as follows: