Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Application for Approval of Contracted Generator Baseline Guidelines

and Reconsideration and Variance of Order G-19-14

BEFORE:               L. A. O’Hara, Panel Chair/Commissioner

                                R. D. Revel, Commissioner                                           December 16, 2014

                                B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

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);

B.      On June 20, 2012, BC Hydro submitted to the Commission, for information purposes only, an information report which, among other things, set out certain principles for establishing GBLs (2012 GBL Information Report). BC Hydro did not seek approval from the Commission for the GBL principles contained in that report;

C.      On November 2, 2012, BC Hydro filed an application with the Commission for Approval to Amend Tariff Supplement No. 74 Customer Baseline Load Determination Guidelines for Rate Schedule 1823 Customers with Self-Generation Facilities (TS 74 Application);

D.      The proposed amendments to TS 74 impacted GBLs for customers with contracted generating units (Contracted GBLs); however, the principles for setting Contracted GBLs were not addressed as part of the TS 74 Application. In that proceeding, BC Hydro stated that BC Hydro and the customer negotiate Contracted GBLs in accordance with the principles set out in the 2012 Information Report;

E.       On February 17, 2014, by Order G-19-14, the Commission made its final determination on the TS 74 Application and, pursuant to Directive 2, directed BC Hydro to file an application with the Commission for approval of updated GBL Guidelines to be incorporated into TS 74;

F.       On May 21, 2014, BC Hydro applied to the Commission for a reconsideration and variance of Order G-19-14 requesting that the Commission rescind Directive 2 (Phase 1 Reconsideration Application);

G.     By Order G-106-14, dated July 25, 2014, the Commission denied BC Hydro’s application to rescind Directive 2 as it related to BC Hydro’s requirement to file an application with the Commission for approval of updated Contracted GBL Guidelines. However, the Commission accepted that there may be alternatives to filing the Contracted GBL Guidelines other than incorporating them into TS 74 and established Phase Two to reconsider Order G-106-14 as it relates to where the Contracted GBL Guidelines should reside (Phase 2 Reconsideration);

H.      Order G-106-14 also established that the Phase 2 Reconsideration will accept new evidence and new parties will be permitted to intervene;

I.        On December 12, 2014, BC Hydro filed its application for approval of Contracted GBL Guidelines in compliance with Order G-19-14 and the Phase 2 Reconsideration and Variance established by Order G-106-14 (the Application);

J.        In the cover letter to the Application, BC Hydro proposes a regulatory process and timetable consisting of one round of information requests followed by a streamline review process; and

K.      The Commission has considered BC Hydro’s proposed Regulatory Timetable and finds that an initial Regulatory Timetable should be established.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:

1.       A Regulatory Timetable for the initial review of the Application is set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       The British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) will seek submissions on further regulatory process, as set out in Appendix A, after the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) files its responses to Information Request No. 1. The Commission will issue a letter, in due course, providing further direction regarding the submissions.

3.       BC Hydro is to provide a copy of this Commission order, electronically where possible, to all parties who participated in the Application to Amend Tariff Supplement No. 74 Customer Baseline Load Determination Guidelines for Rate Schedule 1823 Customers with Self-Generation Facilities proceeding.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this          16th            day of December 2014.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

                                                                                                                            Original Signed By:

L. A. O’Hara

                                                                                                                                Panel Chair/Commissioner

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Application for Approval of Contracted Generator Baseline Guidelines

and Reconsideration and Variance of Order G-19-14

REGULATORY TIMETABLE