IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473
and
An Application by British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Regarding 2014 Power Smart Home Loan Pilot Program Update
BEFORE: L.F. Kelsey, Commissioner
C.A. Brown, Commissioner
N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner December 12, 2013
B.A. Magnan, Commissioner
D.M. Morton, Commissioner
R.D. Revel, Commissioner
O R D E R
WHEREAS:
A. The Clean Energy Act, section 17.1, requires prescribed public utilities to offer financing to eligible persons for improving the energy efficiency of a building, or part of a building. British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) is a prescribed public utility for the purposes of section 17.1 of the Clean Energy Act;
B. Section 17.1(3) of the Clean Energy Act states that a prescribed public utility may establish, in accordance with any of the prescribed requirements, the criteria, terms and conditions on which offers under the program are to be made;
C. On July 24, 2012, the Improvement Financing Regulation was issued and subsequently amended on September 13, 2012 (Regulation), providing further requirements and prescriptions for the financing program to be established by a prescribed public utility. The Regulation specified the scope and certain terms and conditions of the home improvement financing that BC Hydro must offer to eligible persons in the City of Colwood, British Columbia for a two-year period beginning November 1, 2012;
D. On October 30, 2012, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) issued Order G-162-12 approving BC Hydro’s application to amend the BC Hydro Electric Tariff Terms and Conditions in accordance with the Clean Energy Act, section 17.1(9), to incorporate BC Hydro’s form of financing agreement (Improvement Financing Agreement) into BC Hydro’s rates as Tariff Supplement No. 84 and to amend the BC Hydro Electric Tariff Terms and Conditions in relation to the Power Smart Home Loan Program, effective November 1, 2012. In the Reasons for Decision, the Commission noted that the pilot is a prescribed program under the Clean Energy Act, and considers that BC Hydro should be provided a certain amount of flexibility in designing the pilot provided the requirements of the Clean Energy Act and Regulation are met;
E. On April 4, 2013, the Regulation was amended to extend the duration of the financing program to January 1, 2015, relax the eligibility requirement for participation in the financing program, and, effective January 1, 2014, to expand the geographic scope for the financing program BC Hydro must offer to all of Vancouver Island;
F. On November 20, 2013, BC Hydro filed the 2014 Power Smart Home Loan Pilot Program Update Application (Application) pursuant to the Clean Energy Act, section 17.1(9) and sections 58, 60 and 61 of the Utilities Commission Act, seeking approval of changes to Electric Tariff Supplement No. 84 - Improvement Financing Agreement, to reflect the requirements of the amended Regulation and to capture additional changes that target improvement in the Power Smart Home Loan Program participation rate based on experiences to date. The Application also sought Commission approval for corresponding amendments to the BC Hydro Electric Tariff Terms and Conditions; and
G. The Commission has reviewed the Application and finds that the requested amendments to the Power Smart Home Loan Pilot Program comply with section 17.1(2) of the Clean Energy Act and the Regulation.
NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to sections 58 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act, the Commission orders as follows:
1. The amendments to Tariff Supplement No. 84 - Improvement Financing Agreement, set out in Appendix A to the Application, are approved effective January 1, 2014.
2. The amendments to the BC Hydro Electric Tariff Terms and Conditions, set out in Appendix B to the Application, are approved effective January 1, 2014.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 12th day of December, 2013.
BY ORDER
Original Signed By:
D.M. Morton
Commissioner