IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473
and
An Application by FortisBC Energy (Vancouver Island) Inc.
for Approval to Amend the Gas Tariff Standard Terms and Conditions and Rates for Gas Service
- Part D Rate Schedule Large Commercial Service No. 13 (LCS-13) General Firm Transportation Service
BEFORE: L.F. Kelsey, Commissioner
C.A. Brown, Commissioner
N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner
B.A. Magnan, Commissioner April 4, 2013
D.M. Morton, Commissioner
R.D. Revel, Commissioner
C. van Wermeskerken, Commissioner
O R D E R
WHEREAS:
A. On February 25, 2013, FortisBC Energy (Vancouver Island) Inc. (FEVI) applied for approval to amend its Gas Tariff Standard Terms and Conditions and Rates for gas service to introduce Part D - Rate Schedule Large Commercial Service No. 13 (LCS-13) General Firm Transportation Service (the Application) effective March 1, 2013;
B. In the FortisBC Energy Utilities (FEU) 2012 and 2013 Revenue Requirements and Natural Gas Rates Application, FEU asked for approval to maintain current natural gas rates for all FEVI customers other than those with specified rates in their transportation service agreements, for a two‐year period commencing January 1, 2012, pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act and section 2.1 of the Vancouver Island Natural Gas Pipeline Agreement Special Direction. British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) Order G-44-12 on April 12, 2012, approved FEU’s proposal of the maintenance of FEVI 2011 rates for 2012 and 2013 for all customers other than those with specified rates in their transportation agreements;
C. On February 27, 2013, FEVI submitted a Revision Filing to Page TA-D.3 of the proposed Tariff to the Commission, as the original version filed inadvertently missed the section for execution between the parties to the Transportation Agreement;
D. The Commission reviewed
the Application and determined that the Interested Parties (natural
gas marketers, existing and potential transportation customers, and registered
interveners from the FEU 2012 and 2013 Revenue Requirements and Natural
Gas Rates Application) should have the opportunity to provide their comments on
the proposed Tariff amendment and this new service;
E. Commission Order
G-33-13 dated March 7, 2013, approved FEVI’s proposed Part D - Rate Schedule
Large Commercial Service No. 13 (LCS-13) General Firm Transportation Service on
an interim and refundable basis effective March 1, 2013 and required FEVI to
request comments from Interested Parties within 30 days of the distribution of
the Application and Order to the Interested Parties;
F. FEVI distributed
Order G-33-13 and the Application to the Interested Parties on March 13, 2013
and requested comments to be sent to the Commission and FEVI by April 12, 2013;
G. On March 26, 2013, FEVI filed an amendment to the Application to make twenty revisions to the proposed Tariff. At the same time as filing the amendment, FEVI copied the Interested Parties and requested their comments on the Application for the proposed Tariff include the March 26, 2013 proposed amendments to the Application.
NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:
1. FEVI
must advise the Interested Parties, by April 9, 2013, that the
date to submit comments on the proposed Tariff amendments and revisions
to the amendments to the Commission and FEVI has been extended to April 26,
2013.
2. The
Tariff as approved on an interim and refundable basis by Order G-33-13 will
remain unchanged until the process is reviewed following the comment period.
3. FEVI must reply to the comments by Friday, May 3, 2013, after which the Commission will determine whether further process in the review of the proposed Tariff amendments is required.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 4th day of April 2013.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D.M. Morton
Commissioner