Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Residential Inclining Block Rate Re-Pricing Application

BEFORE:                 C.A. Brown, Commissioner

                                N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner

                                D.M. Morton, Commissioner                                              November 7, 2013

                                R.D. Revel, Commissioner

                                C. van Wermeskerken, Commissioner

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.       On March 14, 2011, the Commission issued Order G-45-11 and determined that a new Residential Inclining Block (RIB) Rate Re-Pricing principle should be implemented for British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority’s (BC Hydro) F2012 to F2014 periods inclusive;

B.       Order G-45-11 also ordered BC Hydro to file a more comprehensive RIB rate application on or before December 1, 2013, and include within that application the specific information requested in the attached Reasons for Decision in order to allow the Commission to determine whether a new RIB rate pricing principle should be implemented effective April 1, 2014;

C.       On November 1, 2013, BC Hydro filed its 2013 RIB Rate Re-Pricing Application (Application) seeking approval for a pricing principle under which the F2015/F2016 revenue requirement application rate increases would apply uniformly to each of the RIB’s three main elements, which are the Basic Charge, Step-1 energy rate and Step-2 energy rate.  BC Hydro is not seeking any change to the RIB rate other than the proposed Pricing Principle;

E.        In the Application, BC Hydro is also seeking relief from certain elements of Directive 4 of Order G-45-11 and seeking a determination to dissolve the RIB control group which was set up for research purposes;

F.        Prior to filing the Application on November 1, 2013, BC Hydro held two workshops with stakeholders who were active in the 2008 RIB Rate Application proceeding and the 2011 RIB Rate Re-Pricing Application proceeding.  BC Hydro proposes one round of Commission and Interveners Information Requests (IRs) with a subsequent written process to determine if there is interest in pursuing a Streamlined Review Process (SRP), or whether review of the Application should continue as a written hearing and if so whether a second round of IRs is appropriate prior to the argument phase;

G.       The Commission has determined that a regulatory timetable should be established and distributed to all stakeholders engaged in the 2008 RIB and 2011 RIB proceedings and all made available on BC Hydro’s website.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders that the Application shall proceed according to the Preliminary Regulatory Timetable attached as Appendix A to this Order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                       7^th                      day of November 2013.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

                                                                                                                                Original signed by:

                                                                                                                                D.M. Morton

                                                                                                                                Commissioner

Attachment

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

2013 Residential Inclining Block Rate Re-Pricing Application

PRELIMINARY REGULATORY TIMETABLE