IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473
and
Participant Assistant / Cost Award Applications
in the FortisBC Energy Inc.
Application for Reconsideration of Order G-187-14
Amend the Balancing Charges for Rate Schedules 23, 25, 26 and 27
BEFORE: R. D. Revel, Panel Chair/Commissioner August 26, 2015
H. G. Harowitz, Commissioner
K. A. Keilty, Commissioner
O R D E R
WHEREAS:
A. On December 1, 2014, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) issued its decision and accompanying Order G-187-14 in regard to an application by FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) to amend the charges for Balancing Gas incurred under FEI’s monthly balanced transportation service provided under Rate Schedules 23, 25, 26 and 27. In Order G-187-14, the Commission directed FEI to file a rate design application on monthly balanced transportation service “by no later than one year from the date of the Decision” (which is December 1, 2015), and further determined that the rate design review of monthly balanced transportation service should be a separate process from that of the broader rate design application directed in Commission Order G-21-14;
B. On May 20, 2015, FEI filed an application to reconsider Order G-187-14 (Reconsideration Application). In particular, FEI sought to reconsider and vary Directive No. 2 and requested that the deadline for the filing of the monthly balanced transportation service rate design application be extended to December 31, 2016, and that FEI have the option of either filing it as part of the broader rate design application directed in Commission Order G-21-14 or as a separate application filed along with the broader rate design application directed in Commission Order G-21-14;
C. On June 3, 2015, the Commission issued Order G-94-15 accepting that FEI established a prima facie case to warrant proceeding to Phase 2 of the reconsideration process and set out a regulatory timetable for a written hearing, including one round of information requests;
D. The British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. and the Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia registered as interveners in the Reconsideration Application and filed information requests and final argument;
E. On August 13, 2015, the Commission issued Order G-135-15 with reasons in regard to the Reconsideration Application;
F. The following interveners filed applications for Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) funding:
• British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. filed on July 27, 2015;
• Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia filed on August 11, 2015;
G. By letter dated August 24, 2015 to the Commission, FEI provided comments on the PACA applications indicating it had no comments regarding the time identified or amounts applied for so long as the Commission has no concerns; and
H. The Commission reviewed the PACA applications with regard to the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines appended to Commission Order G-72-07, and concludes that cost awards should be approved for the PACA applications in the proceeding.
NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to section 118 (1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the Commission orders as follows:
1. Participant Assistance/Cost Award funding is approved for the interveners for their participation in the subject proceeding.
|
Intervener |
PACA Request |
PACA Award |
|
British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. |
$2,431.28 |
$2,431.28 |
|
Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia |
$4,696.79 |
$4,696.79 |
2. FortisBC Energy Inc. is directed to reimburse the above noted interveners for the amounts that have been awarded in a timely manner.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 26th day of August 2015.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
R. D. Revel
Panel Chair/Commissioner