IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Inc.
Filing of Energy Supply Contracts with Powerex Corporation
BEFORE: L. F. Kelsey, Commissioner
C. A. Brown, Commissioner
H. G. Harowitz, Commissioner September 3, 2015
K. A. Keilty, Commissioner
D. M. Morton, Commissioner
O R D E R
WHEREAS:
A. By Order G-61-12 dated May 25, 2012, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) approved Rules for Energy Supply Contracts for Electricity (Rules). The Rules are intended to facilitate the Commission’s review of energy supply contracts for electricity and proposed energy supply contracts for electricity under section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act;
B. By Letter L-18-15 dated April 16, 2015, the Commission accepted the FortisBC Inc. (FBC) 2015/2016 Annual Electric Contracting Plan (AECP);
C. By Order E-10-15 dated April 27, 2015, the Commission accepted FBC’s Capacity and Energy Purchase and Sale Agreement outlining FBC sales to and purchases of capacity and energy from Powerex Corporation;
D. On August 10, 2015, pursuant to section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act, FBC filed with the Commission an application for acceptance of two energy supply contracts for November 2015 and October, November and December 2016 (Application);
E. The energy supply contracts, for the purchase of capacity and energy between FBC and Powerex Corporation (the Agreements), were executed on June 24, 2015. The Agreements were made pursuant to the Western Systems Power Pool Service Schedule C;
F. FBC requests that the information in the Application and Agreements be kept confidential due to its commercially sensitive nature. Pursuant to the Rules, FBC provided a redacted copy of the Agreements to interveners in its most recent revenue requirements application;
G. On August 26, 2015, FBC filed its response to the Commission’s confidential information request dated August 20, 2015; and
H. The Commission reviewed the Application, Agreements and information request responses and is satisfied that the Agreements are consistent with the AECP, are in the public interest, and that the information in the filing and associated documents should be kept confidential.
NOW THEREFORE the British Columbia Utilities Commission orders as follows:
1. The Agreements executed on June 24, 2015 between FortisBC Inc. and Powerex Corporation are accepted for filing pursuant to section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act as being in the public interest.
2. The Commission will keep the Application, the Agreements, and the information request responses confidential due to its commercially sensitive nature.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 4th day of September 2015.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D. M. Morton
Commissioner