Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project Update

Regarding the First Semi-Annual Report

Filing Extension Request

BEFORE:                 L.F. Kelsey, Commissioner

                                C.A. Brown, Commissioner

                                N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner                                       February 6, 2014

                                D.M. Morton, Commissioner

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.       On February 8, 2013, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (the Commission) issued Order C-2-13, which granted British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project (the Project).  Directives 4, 5, and 6 in the Order provided for deliverables related to the Project to be filed according to the timeline in the Order;

B.       On November 14, 2013, BC Hydro submitted a letter requesting relief from filing the Project Agreement by no later than the fall of 2013 and submitting the methodology of semi-annual reporting for approval by no later than December 1, 2013 as required by Order C-2-13; and proposed filing dates for the other related deliverables in Directives 4, 5 and 6 contained in Order C-2-13;

C.       On November 28, 2013, by Order G-199-13, the Commission granted the requested extension for filing the Project Agreement and for submitting the methodology of semi-annual reporting for approval.  The Commission set out the new filing dates for the deliverables as follows:

D.       On February 3, 2014, BC Hydro submitted a letter requesting relief from filing the first Project Report from February 14, 2014 to March 6, 2014.  BC Hydro submits that it proposed February 14, 2014 as the date for filing the first Project Report on the basis that execution of the Project Agreement would occur in early February.  BC Hydro now submits execution of the Project Agreement is expected to occur on February 25, 2014.  BC Hydro submits that it would be premature to file the first Project Report before the Project Agreement is completed and executed due to the materiality of the Agreement;

E.        BC Hydro did not request relief from filing the Executed Project Agreement and Revised Project Schedule by March 6, 2014, hosting a workshop to develop a detailed methodology of semi-annual reporting by March 13, 2014, and filing a detailed methodology of semi-annual reporting by March 28, 2014; and

F.        The Commission reviewed BC Hydro’s request and concludes that the proposed timeline for filing the first Project Progress Report is acceptable since the information regarding the Executed Project Agreement and Revised Project Schedule will be available prior to filing the first Project Progress Report.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission:

1.       Grants the requested extension for filing the first Project Progress Report.

2.       Sets out the new filing dates for the deliverables in Order C-2-13 as follows:

3.       Directs BC Hydro to include information regarding the Executed Project Agreement and the Revised Project Schedule in the first Project Progress Report.

4.       Directs BC Hydro to distribute this Order to the registered interveners and interested parties that participated in the review of the John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project within 7 days of its issue date.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this         6^th              day of February 2014.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

Original signed by:

                                                                                                                                D.M. Morton

                                                                                                                                Commissioner