Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

An Application by FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Inc.

for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Kelowna District Energy System and

the Approval of the Rate Design and Rates to Provide Thermal Energy Services to Customers

in the Kelowna City Centre

BEFORE:               D.M. Morton, Panel Chair/Commissioner

                                B.A. Magnan, Commissioner                                       January 23, 2013

                                R.D. Revel, Commissioner

O R D E R

WHEREAS:

A.      On November 2, 2012, FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Inc. (FAES) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (Act), to construct and operate the Kelowna District Energy System (KDES), which will provide Thermal Energy Services (TES) for heating buildings in the Kelowna City Centre, and for approval, under sections 59, 60 and 61 of the Act, of the proposed rate design and rates to recover the cost of service from customers (the Application);

B.      On November 9, 2012, the Commission issued Order G-170-12 establishing a Written Hearing Process and a Regulatory Timetable for the review of the Application;

C.      On November 21, 2012, the Commission issued Order G-175-12 approving FAES’ proposed amendments to the regulatory timetable for the FAES TELUS Garden TES CPCN (TELUS Garden) proceeding;

D.      On November 21, 2012, the Commission issued Order G-176-12 amending the  Regulatory Timetable for procedural and regulatory efficiency to be realized between this Application and the TELUS Garden proceeding;

E.       On November 28, 2012, the British Columbia Pensioners’ and Seniors’ Organization et al. (BCPSO) and the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association and the Sierra Club of B.C. (BCSEA) registered as Interveners;

F.       On December 7and December 14, 2012, the Commission and Registered Interveners submitted their Information Requests (IR) No. 1 to FAES according to the Amended Regulatory Timetable attached to Order G-176-12;

G.     On December 21, 2012, FAES requested further amendment to the Amended Regulatory Timetable due to resource constraints resulting from the many applications pending before the Commission in which FAES and its affiliate FortisBC Energy Inc. are involved.  FAES discussed this request with the Registered Interveners, BCPSO and BCSEA, and both expressed no objection to the proposed amendments;

H.      On December 24, 2012, the Commission issued Order G-200-12 approving FAES’ proposed amendments to the Amended Regulatory Timetable;

I.        On January 15, 2013, FAES filed its responses to IR No. 1 from the Commission and Interveners according to the Amended Regulatory Timetable attached to Order G-200-12; and

J.        Commission Staff contacted FAES and the Registered Interveners inquiring whether further amendment to the Amended Regulatory Timetable would be acceptable, including extending the IR No. 2 to FAES to February 13, 2013.  FAES and the Interveners were agreeable to a revised timetable.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission approves a Revised Regulatory Timetable, attached as Appendix A to this Order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this         23^rd              day of January 2013.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

Original signed by:

                                                                                                                                D.M. Morton

                                                                                                                                Panel Chair/Commissioner

Attachment

FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Inc.

An Application by FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Inc.

for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Kelowna District Energy System and

the Approval of the Rate Design and Rates to Provide Thermal Energy Services to Customers

in the Kelowna City Centre

REVISED REGULATORY TIMETABLE