IN THE MATTER OF
The Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473
and
An Application by FortisBC Inc.
for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project
Procedural Conference
BEFORE: L.F. Kelsey, Commissioner
D.M. Morton, Commissioner November 9, 2012
N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner
O R D E R
WHEREAS:
A. On July 26, 2012, FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) applied to the BC Utilities Commission (Commission), pursuant to sections 45, 46, and 56 of the Utilities Commission Act (the Act), for approval of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project (Project), including approval of a revised depreciation rate for the proposed meters to be installed (the Application);
B. On September 26, 2012 by Commission Order G-135-12, the Commission determined that a Procedural Conference would be held in Kelowna to consider more precisely the topics to be reviewed by written and oral processes and to consider the regulatory agenda for the remainder of the proceeding;
C. On October 30, 2012 Mr. Andy Shadrack submitted a letter on behalf of Area D in the Regional District Central Kootenay (RDCK) (Exhibit C13-4), a registered intervener in this proceeding (the RDCK letter). The RDCK letter requested that the proceedings related to the Application be suspended until such time that FortisBC has provided the Commission with the ability to consider a comprehensive wired smart meter option. On the same date, Mr. Michael Jessen submitted a letter on behalf of the Nelson-Creston Green Party Constituency Association (Nelson-Creston) (Exhibit C18-3), a registered intervener in this proceeding (the Nelson-Creston letter). The Nelson-Creston letter submitted that Nelson-Creston is of the opinion that the proceedings in this matter should be suspended until FortisBC submits a business case to the Commission for installing hard-wired (or wired-in) smart meters for comparison with its current wireless proposal;
D. Mr. Shadrack submitted a further email on behalf of RDCK in connection with its application for a suspension on November 7, 2012 (Exhibit C18-4);
E. While neither Applicant was in attendance at a Procedural Conference, which took place on Thursday, November 8, 2012 in Kelowna, Commission Counsel brought forward the suspension requests made by each Applicant respectively for consideration by the Commission Panel;
F. The Commission Panel addressed the suspension requests in addition to several other items at the Procedural Conference; all matters save and except for the suspension requests will be determined by a later Commission Order. With respect to the suspension requests, the Panel established a timeframe for further submissions.
NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:
1. RDCK and Nelson-Creston are to file any further submissions on their suspension requests on or before November 16, 2012.
2. All other Interveners are to file their submissions, if any, on the submissions filed by RDCK and Nelson-Creston on or before November 23, 2012.
3. FortisBC is to file its submissions, if any, to the submissions of the Applicants and the other interveners on or before November 30, 2012.
4. The Applicants are to file their reply submissions, if any, to the submissions of the other interveners and FortisBC on or before December 7, 2012.
5. The proceeding to review the Application for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project will continue in accordance with the timetable established by Exhibit A-8 until further Order of the Commission.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 9th day of November 2012.
BY ORDER
Original signed by
L.F. Kelsey
Commissioner