Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

Application by British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

2013 Open Access Transmission Tariff Amendments

BEFORE:                 C.A. Brown, Commissioner

                                N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner                                      

                                B.A. Magnan, Commissioner                                              February 28, 2013

                                D.M. Morton, Commissioner

                                C. van Wermeskerken, Commissioner                            

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.       On December 9, 2010, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) issued Order G-192-10 approving amendments to the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) submitted by British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
(BC Hydro), pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act (Act), to reflect the integration of BC Hydro and British Columbia Transmission Corporation pursuant to the Clean Energy Act (CEA);

B.       On February 23, 2012, the Commission issued Order G-16-12 approving amendments to OATT Rate Schedule 09 (RS 09) - Loss Compensation Service (LCS) to extend its termination date to March 1, 2013;

C.       On April 5, 2012, the Commission issued Order G-43-12 approving amendments to OATT Attachment K - Transmission Planning to reflect the transmission planning process of BC Hydro as an integrated electric utility having regard for the requirements of the CEA, the Act, and the transmission planning principles stipulated in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order No. 890;

D.       On January 21, 2013, BC Hydro, posted a bulletin on its public transmission website regarding its proposed amendments to the OATT and requested that any comments be submitted by February 4, 2013.  A notification of the bulletin was sent to those parties who are subscribed for BC Hydro’s transmission bulletins as well as to those interested parties that registered to be included in BC Hydro’s Interested Parties List in accordance with BC Hydro’s Attachment K business practice.  No comments were received;

E.        On February 19, 2013, BC Hydro, pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Act, submitted to the Commission an application for amendments the OATT (Application), including:

•         Amendments to OATT RS 09 to extend the expiry date of LCS from to March 1, 2018, to implement a price floor of $0/MWh on LCS energy sold to customers, and to reflect an amendment made by the Alberta Electric System Operator to the acronym used to refer to its service;

•         Amendments to Attachment K that are necessary to ensure that BC Hydro is offering service comparable to the requirements of FERC Order No. 1000; and

•         Amendments to the OATT to correct minor typographical errors and to correct a misalignment between the OATT and BC Hydro’s business practice for the scheduling of Non-Firm Transmission;

F.        BC Hydro provided a copy of the Application to 14 customers and stakeholders and considers that a minimal written regulatory process is required for this Application;

G.       In the Application, BC Hydro also requested an order by March 1, 2013, to extend the termination date for RS 09 for six months so that BC Hydro can continue to offer customers LCS while the Commission considers and makes a final decision on the Application;

H.       The Commission has considered the request to extend the termination date of RS 09 until such time the Commission renders a final decision on the Application and considers that this request is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:

1.       The termination date of Open Access Transmission Tariff Rate Schedule 09 is extended to September 1, 2013.

2.       The Regulatory Timetable for the Application is set out in Appendix A to this Order.

3.       As soon as reasonably possible, BC Hydro must bulletin the Application and this Commission Order and Regulatory Timetable on BC Hydro’s public transmission website.

4.       By Friday, March 8 2013, BC Hydro must provide (electronically or by mail) a copy of the Application and this Commission Order and Regulatory Timetable to all the Open Access Transmission Tariff customers, parties who received the Amendment bulletin notification and other parties who received a copy of the Application.  In its cover letter to these customers and stakeholders, BC Hydro must advise that the Commission is seeking comments from customers and stakeholders on the Application.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, In the Province of British Columbia, this              28^th             day of February 2013.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

                                                                                                                                Original signed by:

D.M. Morton

Commissioner

Attachment

Application by British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

2013 Open Access Transmission Tariff Amendments

REGULATORY TIMETABLE