Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

Applications by Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

for Acceptance of the 2014 Resource Plan for PNG-West Pipeline System

and by Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd.

for Acceptance of the Resubmission of the DSM Part of the

2012 Resource Plan for the PNG(N.E.) Pipeline Systems

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

                                C.A. Brown, Commissioner                                          May 6, 2014

N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner                              

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.      By Order G-209-11 dated December 8, 2011, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) accepted the Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) 2011 Resource Plan pursuant to section 44.1(6) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) and directed PNG to file its next resource plan by December 8, 2013;

B.      By Order G-60-13 dated April 18, 2013, the Commission accepted the Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd. (PNG(N.E.)) 2012 Resource Plan pursuant to section 44.1(6) of the UCA, with the exception of the Demand Side Management (DSM) part of the 2012 Resource Plan.  The temporary exemption from the requirement of section 44.1(2)(b) of the UCA sought by PNG(N.E.) was denied;

C.      By Order G-60-13, the Commission, pursuant to section 44.1(7) of the UCA, directed PNG(N.E.) to resubmit the DSM part of the 2012 Resource Plan for the PNG(N.E.) Pipeline Systems and include an updated load forecast. The Panel directed PNG(N.E.) to file this resubmission at the same time as PNG submits its resource plan for the PNG-West pipeline system, no later than December 8, 2013;

D.      On October 4, 2013, PNG and PNG(N.E.) advised the Commission that they would be unable to complete the 2014 Resource Plan for PNG-West and the Resubmission of the DSM Portion of the 2012 Resource Plan for PNG(N.E.) by the required deadline and requested an extension of the December 8, 2013 filing date to April 8, 2014;

E.       By Commission Letter L-61-13 dated October 17, 2013, the Commission determined that it was reasonable to extend the filing date from December 8, 2013 to April 8, 2014;

F.       On April 8, 2014, PNG (the Applicant) filed an application for acceptance of its 2014 Resource Plan for
PNG-West Pipeline System (PNG-West 2014 Resource Plan), and an application for acceptance of its Resubmission of the DSM Portion of the 2012 Resource Plan for the PNG(N.E.) Pipeline Systems (PNG(N.E.) DSM Resubmission) (collectively, the Applications);

G.     The Applicant has provided a copy of the PNG-West 2014 Resource Plan and the PNG(N.E.) DSM Resubmission to the parties who registered as interveners in respect of PNG’s 2014 Revenue Requirement and the 2012 PNG(N.E.) Resource Plan, respectively;

H.      Appendix G of the PNG-West 2014 Resource Plan and Appendix A of the PNG(N.E.) DSM Resubmission are the same consolidated DSM Plan, which applies to both the PNG-West pipeline system and the PNG(N.E.) pipeline system;

I.        The Commission has determined that a combined written review process is warranted for the review of the Applications and considers that a regulatory timetable should be established.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:

1.       A Written Hearing Process is established for the review of the 2014 Resource Plan for PNG-West Pipeline System (PNG-West 2014 Resource Plan), and Resubmission of the DSM Portion of the 2012 Resource Plan for the PNG(N.E.) Pipeline Systems (PNG(N.E.) DSM Resubmission) (collectively, the Applications) in accordance with the Regulatory Timetable attached as Appendix A to this Order.

2.       The Applicant shall provide a copy of this Order to the registered Interveners and Interested Parties in the 2014 PNG Revenue Requirement, the 2014 PNG(N.E.) Revenue Requirement, the PNG 2011 Resource Plan proceeding, the PNG(N.E.) 2012 Resource Plan proceeding, as well as each of the stakeholders identified in section 8 of the PNG-West 2014 Resource Plan.

3.       Any objections to the process of a single, combined written review of the Applications should be filed with the Commission by Tuesday, May 13, 2014.

4.       Interveners or Interested Parties who wish to participate in the combined proceeding for the Applications should register with the Commission, in writing or electronic submission, by Thursday, May 29, 2014.   Interveners must specifically state the nature of their interest in the Applications. In addition, Interveners must identify the issues that they intend to pursue during the proceeding and the anticipated nature and extent of their involvement in the review process.

5.       Interveners intending to apply for Participant Assistance must submit a budget estimate by Thursday,
June 19, 2014.  Participant Assistance applications should be consistent with the Commission’s Participant Assistance/Cost Award Guidelines and Order G‐72‐07.  Copies of the Guidelines are available upon request or can be downloaded from the Commission’s website at http://www.bcuc.com/Documents/Guidelines/2011/DOC_5014_G-72-07_PACA_2007_Guidelines.pdf

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

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

Original signed by:

R.D. Revel

Panel Chair/Commissioner

Attachment

Applications by Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

for Acceptance of the 2014 Resource Plan for PNG-West Pipeline System

and by Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd.

for Acceptance of the Resubmission of the DSM Part of the

2012 Resource Plan for the PNG(N.E.) Pipeline Systems

REGULATORY TIMETABLE