Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

Participant Assistant / Cost Award Applications

in the FortisBC Energy Inc.

Application for Approval to Amend the

Balancing Charges for Rate Schedules 23, 25, 26 and 27

BEFORE:               R. D. Revel, Panel Chair/Commissioner                 

                                H. G. Harowitz, Commissioner                                    December 2, 2014

                                K. A. Keilty, Commissioner

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.      On May 13, 2014, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) seeking approval to increase the existing charge per gigajoule of Balancing Gas supplied in Rate Schedules 23, 25, 26 and 27 (Application);

B.      By Order G-71-14 dated June 6, 2014, the Commission established a written hearing process and a regulatory timetable with two rounds of information requests to review the Application;

C.      On August 5, 2014, the Commission issued Order G-109-14 establishing an amended regulatory timetable;

D.      Six interveners registered for the proceeding: British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al., the Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia, Cascadia Energy Ltd., Just Energy (B.C.) Limited Partnership, Sentinel Energy Management, and Shell Energy North America (Canada) Inc.;

E.       On December 1, 2014, the Commission issued its decision and accompanying Order G-187-14 in regard to the Application;

F.       On October 8, 2014, the following interveners filed applications for Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) funding:

•         British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al.;

•         Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia;

G.     By letter dated October 20, 2014 to the Commission, FEI provided comments on the PACA applications indicating it had no comments regarding the time identified or amounts applied for so long as the Commission has no concerns; and

H.      The Commission reviewed the PACA applications with regard to the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines appended to Commission Order G-72-07, and concluded that cost awards should be approved for the PACA applications in the proceeding.

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to section 118 (1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the Commission orders as follows:

1.       Participant Assistance/Cost Award funding is approved to the following interveners for their participation in the proceeding:

2.       FortisBC Energy Inc. is directed to reimburse the above noted interveners for the amounts that have been awarded in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this         2^nd           day of December 2014.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

Original signed by:

                                                                                                                                R. D. Revel

                                                                                                                                Panel Chair/Commissioner