Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project

BEFORE:               D. M. Morton, Commissioner                                     November 24, 2015

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.      On November 13, 2015, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed the W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project application (Application) and statement of capital expenditures with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) under section 44.2(1)(b) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) and requests acceptance pursuant to section 44.2(3)(a) of the UCA;

B.      The W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project (the Project) will address inadequate long-term erosion protection of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam (the Dam) located on the Peace River approximately eighteen kilometres west of the town of Hudson’s Hope. The Project involves:

•         replacing portions of the failed rock armour layer, also known as riprap, on the upstream face of the Dam;

•         development and operation of the Sand Flat quarry to source the required volume of riprap;

•         transportation by truck of the riprap from the Sand Flat quarry to the Dam; and

•         temporary stockpiling of riprap near the Dam;

C.      The Project cost is estimated at $137.1 million within a range of capital expenditures from $109.7 million to $171.4 million;

D.      Quarry construction is scheduled to start in 2016 and the Project is expected to be completed in 2021; and

E.       The Commission has determined that a public hearing is necessary for the review of the Application.

NOW THEREFORE the British Columbia Utilities Commission orders as follows:

1.       The W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project application (Application) will be examined through a written or oral public hearing process and the preliminary Regulatory Timetable, attached as Appendix A to this order, has been established.

2.       The Commission considers British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority’s (BC Hydro) request for confidentiality is reasonably necessary to protect BC Hydro’s business interests associated with their proposed competitive procurement strategy. The Commission will hold the confidential versions of Appendix B-1 and Appendix D-1 of the Application, which contain detailed cost estimates for the Project construction work as confidential. Interveners may obtain access to this information by executing standard form undertakings of confidentiality.

3.       BC Hydro must publish, as soon as practicable but no later than Tuesday, December 1, 2015, in display-ad format, a public notice of the Application attached as Appendix B to this order, in local and community newspapers to provide reasonable notice to people in the affected service area and surrounding communities.

4.       BC Hydro is to provide a copy of this order to interveners registered in the 2012-2014 Revenue Requirements proceeding as well as to any party copied on BC Hydro’s November 13, 2015 filing of the application.

5.       Persons wishing to participate as interveners or as interested parties, as described in Appendix B to this order, should register with the Commission in writing or electronic submission by Tuesday, December 8, 2015. Interveners should specifically state the nature of their interest in the Application and identify generally the nature of the issues that they may intend to pursue during the proceeding and the nature and extent of their anticipated involvement in the review process.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this      24^th            day of November 2015.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. M. Morton

                                                                                                                                Commissioner

Attachments

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project

REGULATORY TIMETABLE

 

 

 

 

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project

On November 13, 2015, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed the W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project application and statement of capital expenditures with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) for acceptance pursuant to section 44.2 of the Utilities Commission Act.

The proposed W.A.C. Bennett dam Riprap Upgrade Project (Project) will address inadequate long-term erosion protection of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam located on the Peace River approximately eighteen kilometres west of the town of Hudson’s Hope. The Project involves:

•         replacing portions of the failed rock armour layer, also known as riprap, on the upstream face of the Dam;

•         development and operation of the Sand Flat quarry to source the required volume of riprap;

•         transportation by truck of the riprap from the Sand Flat quarry to the Dam; and

•         temporary stockpiling of riprap near the dam.

Quarry construction is scheduled to start in 2016 which allows for Dam construction to be completed in 2019 and reclamation of the quarry in 2020. The Project cost is estimated at $137.1 million within a range of capital expenditures from $109.7 million (-20%) to $171.4 million (+25%). BC Hydro’s customer rates would initially be impacted in 2018 and for the $137.1 million capital estimate would increase by a maximum 0.18% in 2021. The corresponding maximum rate increase is 0.14% and 0.22% for the -20% and +25% capital cost estimates respectively.

How to Get Involved

Persons wishing to actively participate in the proceeding must register as an intervener through the Commission’s website at www.bcuc.com or in writing by Tuesday, December 8, 2015. Registrants must identify the issues they intend to pursue and indicate the extent of their anticipated involvement in the review process. Interveners will each receive a copy of all non-confidential correspondence and filed documentation, and must provide an email address if available. 

Persons not expecting to actively participate, but who have an interest in the proceeding, should register as an interested party through the Commission’s website or in writing, by Tuesday, December 8, 2015, identifying their interest in the proceeding. Interested parties receive electronic notice of submissions and a copy of the decision when it is released.

Letters of comment may also be submitted. All submissions and/or correspondence received relating to the application are provided to the panel and all participants in the proceeding. Submissions are placed on the public record and posted to the Commission’s website. By participating and/or providing comment on the application, you agree that all submissions will be placed on the public record and posted on the Commission’s website. 

If you wish to attend the Procedural Conference please register with the Commission Secretary using the contact information provided at the end of this notice.

View the Application

The application and all supporting documentation are available on the Commission’s website on the “Current Applications” page. If you would like to review the material in hard copy, it is available to be viewed at the locations below:

For More Information or to Register

For more information or to register please contact Ms. Erica Hamilton, Commission Secretary using the contact information above.