Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

Application by FortisBC Energy Inc.

for Approval to Amend Rate Schedule 16 on a Permanent Basis

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

                                B.A. Magnan, Commissioner                                              January 25, 2013

                                D.M. Morton, Commissioner

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.       On September 24, 2012, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission), pursuant to sections 59-61 of the Utilities Commission Act, for approval of a permanent amended Rate Schedule 16 to provide liquefied natural gas (LNG) sales and dispensing service on long-term and short-term firm bases, and on a spot load basis (the Application);

B.       On October 26, 2012, by Order G-158-12, the Commission established a Written Hearing process and a Preliminary Regulatory Timetable setting a first round of Information Requests (IRs) and a date of January 14, 2013 for a Procedural Conference in which the nature and extent of further regulatory process would be determined.  Draft regulatory timetables for the period beyond the Procedural Conference contemplated a second round of IRs with and without Intervener Evidence;

C.       On October 31, 2012, FEI filed a Request for Variance of Order G-158-12 (Request for Variance).  In the Request for Variance, FEI expressed concern that the length of the regulatory process established in Order G-158-12 for review of the Application would impede FEI’s ability to implement Prescribed Undertakings under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Regulation, which came into effect on May 14, 2012;

D.       On November 6, 2012, the Commission issued Order G-166-12 confirming the proceeding as a Written Hearing and setting out a Revised Preliminary Regulatory Timetable for the first round of IRs and a date of December 10, 2012 for a Procedural Conference to determine the nature and extent of further process;

E.        On November 28, 2012, Ferus Inc. LNG Division (Ferus LNG) submitted a request to the Commission to suspend the proceeding until the Commission released its Report in the Inquiry into FEI’s Offering of Products and Services in Alternative Energy Solutions and Other New Initiatives (AES Inquiry) on the basis that the AES Inquiry Report could inform the parties with regard to the appropriate further process for the Application;

F.        On December 7, 2012, after inviting and reviewing submissions from participants in the Application, the Commission issued Order G-186-12, postponing the Procedural Conference pending the release of the AES Inquiry Report, but maintaining all other aspects of the Regulatory Timetable established under Order G-166-12;

G.       On December 27, 2012, the Commission issued the AES Inquiry Report and the associated Order G-201-12;

H.       By letter dated January 10, 2013, the Commission advised FEI and Registered Interveners that it intended to resume the regulatory review of the Application and invited the parties to submit comments on the further process required to complete the review of the Application; and

I.         The Commission has reviewed the comments submitted by the parties and has established a Regulatory Timetable for the remainder of the regulatory review process.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission has established the Revised Regulatory Timetable attached as Appendix A to this Order, with two alternatives; one for the instance in which Interveners file evidence and one for the instance in which Interveners do not file evidence.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this               25^th                           day of January 2013.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

Original signed by:

A.A. Rhodes

Commissioner/Panel Chair

Attachment

Application by FortisBC Energy Inc.

for Approval to Amend Rate Schedule 16 on a Permanent Basis

REVISED REGULATORY TIMETABLE WITH NO INTERVENER EVIDENCE FILED

REVISED REGULATORY TIMETABLE WITH INTERVENER EVIDENCE FILED