IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Inc.
Application for Demand Side Management
Expenditures for the Period from 2015 to 2016
BEFORE: B. A. Magnan, Panel Chair/Commissioner
I. F. MacPhail, Commissioner December 3, 2014
C. A. Brown, Commissioner
O R D E R
WHEREAS:
A. On August 11, 2014, FortisBC Inc. (FBC) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) pursuant to section 44.2 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) for acceptance of demand side management (DSM) expenditures for the period from 2015 to 2016 (the Application);
B. By Order G-155-14 dated August 15, 2014, the Commission established a written hearing process and a regulatory timetable with one round of information requests to review the Application. The Regulatory Timetable was subsequently amended by Order G-144-14 and Letter L-52-14;
C. In this proceeding, BC Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro); BC Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM); British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization, Disability Alliance BC, Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC, and the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (BCOAPO); BC Sustainable Energy Association and the Sierra Club of British Columbia (BCSEA); Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC); Industrial Customers Group (ICG) and Zellstoff Celgar Limited Partnership (Celgar) registered as interveners;
D. During the course of the proceeding, information requests were submitted to FBC, and FBC responded to one round of information requests;
E. On September 29, 2014, FBC submitted its final argument in which it sought acceptance of the detailed DSM expenditure schedules contained in Appendix A of the Application, including the DSM expenditure of up to $7.3 million for 2015 and up to $7.5 million for 2016;
F. On October 10, 2014, BCOAPO, BCSEA, CEC, Celgar and ICG submitted their final arguments;
G. On October 20, 2014, FBC submitted its reply argument; and
H. The Commission has reviewed the Application and the evidence submitted through the review process and concludes that acceptance is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE the British Columbia Utilities Commission, for reasons stated in the decision, orders as follows:
1. Pursuant to section 44.2(3) of the Utilities Commission Act, the FortisBC Inc. demand side management expenditure schedules in Appendix A of the Application setting out expenditures of up to $7.3 million for 2015 and up to $7.5 million for 2016 are accepted.
2. The Commission determines that the specifics of Zellstoff Celgar Limited Partnership’s complaint should continue to be addressed through the complaint process.
3. FortisBC Inc. must comply with all additional determinations contained in the decision attached to this Order.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 3rd day of December 2014.
BY ORDER
Original Signed By:
B. A. Magnan
Panel Chair/Commissioner
Attachment