IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Energy Inc.
Customer Choice Program Seventh Annual General Meeting
BEFORE: D. M. Morton, Commissioner January 13, 2016
O R D E R
WHEREAS:
A. FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) obtained a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) on August 14, 2006 for the Commodity Unbundling Project for Residential Customers (Customer Choice) in accordance with the government’s 2002 energy policy which allows for the direct sale of natural gas to residential and small volume commercial customers through gas marketing companies licensed by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission);
B. Article 34 of the Code of Conduct for Gas Marketers requires the Commission to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to discuss program improvements or enhancements;
C. On February 26, 2015, the Commission established the Customer Choice Program Seventh AGM by Order A‑2-15. The Customer Choice program fee structure was raised as an issue for discussion during the proceeding;
D. On September 29, 2015, by Order A-12-15, the Commission directed FEI to submit an application regarding the Customer Choice program fee structure (Application) to the Commission by March 31, 2016;
E. By letter dated November 18, 2015, FEI requested a breakdown of the Commission’s expenditures charged to the program, by function, for the years 2010 to 2015 by January 8, 2016;
F. By letter dated December 14, 2015, the Commission advised FEI the Commission is unable to provide the requested information for the years 2015, 2011 and 2010 because the Commission adopted a new financial IT system in 2012 and financial data at the level of detail requested for the years prior to the adoption of the new system is not readily accessible. Regarding 2015, the requested information is not available as the year has only just concluded. Finally, the Commission advised FEI that due to the volume of work required to provide an accurate breakdown of the expenditures in the categories requested by FEI, the information would be submitted to FEI on January 22, 2016, two-weeks following the January 8, 2016 deadline FEI requested;
G. By letter dated January 8, 2016, FEI requested a one-month extension to the deadline to submit the Application, from March 31, 2016 to April 30, 2016, given the timing for receiving the Commission’s expenditure information, in order to allow adequate time to review the program’s transaction fees and prepare the Application; and
H. The Commission has reviewed FEI’s request for extension and determines a one-month extension to the Application filing deadline is not warranted.
NOW THEREFORE, given that the Commission’s expenditure information will be submitted to FEI two-weeks after the date FEI requested the Commission provide the information, the British Columbia Utilities Commission denies FEI’s request for a one-month extension and orders that FortisBC Energy Inc. must submit an application regarding the Customer Choice program fee structure to the Commission by April 14, 2016.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 13th of January 2016.
BY ORDER
Original Signed By
D. M. Morton
Commissioner