IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473
and
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Application to Amend Tariff Supplement No. 74
Customer Baseline Load Determination Guidelines for RS 1823
Customers with Self-Generation Facilities
BEFORE: A.A. Rhodes, Panel Chair/Commissioner
C. van Wermeskerken, Commissioner February 17, 2014
O R D E R
WHEREAS:
A. On November 27, 2009, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) issued Letter L-106-09 asking the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) to provide draft guidelines for the determination of Generator Baselines (GBLs). In addition, the Commission requested that BC Hydro address twenty questions attached to Letter L-106-09 when submitting the draft GBL guidelines;
B. On June 20, 2012, BC Hydro submitted an Information Report (2012 Information Report) which, among other things, set out certain principles for establishing GBLs and responded to the twenty questions posed in Letter L-106-09 (Exhibit A2-1);
C. On November 2, 2012, BC Hydro filed an application with the Commission under sections 58-61 of the Utilities Commission Act for approval to amend Electric Tariff Supplement No. 74 (TS 74) to include proposed Attachment B Guidelines (Application);
D. The proposed Attachment B Guidelines address the determination, adjustment and reset of Customer Baseline Loads (CBLs) for Transmission Service Rate (TSR) Schedule 1823 customers with electrical power self-generation facilities which are installed at the same site as the customer’s plant, on the customer’s side of the point of delivery, and which are used to supply a portion of the customer’s load;
E. The Attachment B Guidelines identify the CBL-related treatments for customers with Contracted generating units and customers with Non-Contracted generating units. For both types of generating units, BC Hydro proposes to use a GBL mechanism to identify the annual volume of actual self-generation output (if any) that is incremental to the baseline amount;
F. The principles for the initial and subsequent determination of GBLs for customers with Non-Contracted generating units (Non-Contracted GBLs) are contained in the proposed Attachment B Guidelines;
G. The principles for setting GBLs for customers with Contracted generating units (Contracted GBLs) are not included in the Attachment B Guidelines rather, BC Hydro states that the customer and BC Hydro negotiate the Contracted GBL in accordance with the principles set out in the 2012 Information Report;
H. The 2012 Information Report is neither included nor referenced in the Attachment B Guidelines. BC Hydro takes the position that it submitted the 2012 Information Report to the Commission for information purposes only and is not seeking approval from the Commission for the GBL principles contained in that report;
I. The Application also seeks approval for associated amendments to the body of TS 74 which delete content and references to CBL-related treatments for customers with self-generation facilities because those treatments are now wholly contained in the Attachment B Guidelines;
J. The Association of Major Power Customers of BC (AMPC) and Zellstoff Celgar Partnership Limited registered as Interveners in this proceeding;
K. BC Hydro states that it undertook consultation with TSR customers and AMPC on the proposed changes. In addition, BC Hydro held a pre-filing workshop which was attended by AMPC, TSR customers, Commission staff and several other interested parties; and
L. The Commission established a written hearing process to review the Application by way of Order G-172-12, Letter L-1-13, and Order G-91-13. The proceeding included two rounds of Commission and Intervener Information Requests with final written submissions.
NOW THEREFORE, for the reasons stated in the Decision issued concurrently with this Order, the Commission makes the following determinations:
1. Pursuant to sections 59-60 of the Utilities Commission Act, the Commission approves the Attachment B Guidelines and the ancillary amendments to the body of Tariff Supplement No. 74 effective the date of this Order.
2. The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority is directed to file an application with the Commission no later than 6 months after the date of this Order for approval of updated Contracted Generator Baseline guidelines to be incorporated into Tariff Supplement No. 74.
3. Pursuant to section 61 of the Utilities Commission Act, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority is directed to file amended Tariff Supplement No. 74 Rate Schedules within 15 business days of the date of this Order.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 17th day of February 2014.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
A.A. Rhodes
Panel Chair/Commissioner