Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

Applications for Participant Assistance/Cost Awards

In the Applications by Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. and Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd.

for Approval of the 2014 Resource Plan for the PNG-West Pipeline System and

Resubmission of the DSM Portion of the 2012 Resource Plan for PNG (N.E.) Pipeline Systems

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

                                C.A. Brown, Commissioner                                             September 29, 2014

                                N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.      On April 8, 2014, Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) filed its Resource Plan for its PNG-West pipeline system
(PNG-West 2014 Resource Plan) and the Resubmission of the Demand-Side Management (DSM) portion of the 2012 Resource Plan for the Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd. Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Tumbler Ridge distribution pipeline systems (PNG (N.E.) DSM Resubmission) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) pursuant to section 44.1 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) and in accordance with Commission Order G-60-13;

B.      By Order G-61-14 dated May 6, 2014, the Commission established a combined Written Hearing Process and a Regulatory Timetable with two rounds of Information Requests to review the Applications.  The review process included written Information Requests and submissions, and included the participation of the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association and the Sierra Club of British Columbia and the British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. as Interveners;

C.      On August 26, 2014, after PNG submitted its Reply Argument, the evidentiary record for the review of the
PNG-West 2014 Resource Plan and PNG (N.E.) DSM Resubmission Applications closed;

D.      Subsequent to the closing of the evidentiary record, the following Interveners filed applications for Participant Assistance/Cost Awards (PACA Applications):

E.       By letter dated September 25, 2014, PNG stated it has reviewed the PACA Applications and, so long as the Commission is satisfied with amounts applied for, it has no further comment; and

F.       The Commission has reviewed the PACA Applications with regard to the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines in Commission Order G-72-07 and has concluded that cost awards should be approved for the amounts set out in the PACA Applications.

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

1.       Funding is awarded to the following Interveners for their participation in the Applications by Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) regarding the acceptance of PNG-West 2014 Resource Plan and PNG (N.E.) DSM Resubmission as follows:

2.       PNG is directed to reimburse the above-noted participants for the amounts that have been awarded in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this            29^th       day of September 2014.

                                                                                                                              BY ORDER

                                                                                                                              Original signed by:

                                                                                                                              R.D. Revel

                                                                                                                              Panel Chair/Commissioner