Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Applications

in the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

2013 Residential Inclining Block Rate Re-Pricing Application

(2013 RIB Re-Pricing Application)

BEFORE:               R.D. Revel, Commissioner                                                            March 20, 2014

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.      On November 1, 2013, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed its 2013 Residential Inclining Block (RIB) Rate Re-Pricing Application (Application) seeking approval for a pricing principle under which the F2015/2016 revenue requirement application rate increases would apply uniformly to each of the RIB’s three main elements, which are the Basic Charge, Step-1 energy rate and Step-2 energy rate.  BC Hydro is not seeking any change to the RIB rate other than the proposed pricing principle;

B.      By Order G-181-13 dated November 7, 2013, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) established a written hearing process and a Preliminary Regulatory Timetable;

C.      Seven parties registered as Interveners in the 2013 RIB Re-Pricing Application proceeding:  the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association and the Sierra Club of British Columbia (BCSEA), Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union Local 378, the British Columbia Pensioners’ and Seniors’ Organization et al. (BCPSO), FortisBC Utilities, BC Ministry of Energy and Mines, the Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC) and the Association of Major Power Customers of BC (AMPC);

D.      On November 28, 2013, the Commission issued Order G-195-13 and established an Amended Regulatory Timetable for BC Hydro responses to Information Request No. 1, and also seeking BC Hydro and Intervener submissions regarding the appropriate review process;

E.       By Order G-4-14 dated January 13, 2014, the Commission determined that the review of the Application would proceed by way of a Streamlined Review Process (SRP) to be held on January 29, 2014;

F.       Following the SRP, the Commission issued Order G-13-14 dated February 4, 2014, approving the proposed RIB rate pricing principle for fiscal 2015 and 2016, among other things;

G.     Between February 18 and March 4, 2014, the following Interveners filed applications for a Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) finding:  BCPSO, BCSEA and CEC;

H.      By letter dated March 14, 2014 to the Commission, BC Hydro provided comments on the PACA applications indicating that the applications are substantially consistent with the Commission’s PACA Guidelines as per Order G-72-07 and that each of the PACA applicant contributed towards a better understanding of the 2013 RIB Re-Pricing Application; and

I.        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 concludes that cost awards should be approved for the PACA applications in the proceeding.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:

1.    Pursuant to section 118 (1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the Commission awards funds in the following amounts to the Interveners for their participation in the proceeding:

2.    British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority 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         20^th           day of March 2014.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

R.D. Revel

Panel Chair/Commissioner