ORDER NUMBER
R-6-16
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Inc.
Application to Change Registration Footprint required for compliance with
Mandatory Reliability Standards
BEFORE:
D. M. Morton, Commissioner
H. G. Harowitz, Commissioner
K. A. Keilty, Commissioner
R. D. Revel, Commissioner
on March 3, 2016
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. The Mandatory Reliability Standards Regulation (MRS Regulation), Ministerial Order M039, deposited February 23, 2009, described the parties subject to reliability standards adopted under section 125.2(6) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) and on June 4, 2009, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) issued Commission Order G-67-09 specifying that entities subject to reliability standards must register with the Commission;
B. In accordance with the Administration Agreement between the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) and the Commission, dated September 8, 2009, and renewed August 21, 2014, WECC makes registration recommendations in its role as Administrator for the British Columbia Mandatory Reliability Standards MRS Program (BC MRS Program);
C. By Commission Order G-29-10, dated February 25, 2010, the Commission approved registration of FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) for eight reliability functions with the BC MRS Program. By Commission Order G-92-10, dated May 27, 2010, the Commission approved registration of FortisBC for two additional reliability functions;
D. On October 7, 2014, Ministerial Order M325 amended the MRS Regulation to include a revised definition of the bulk power system, which incorporates reference to the Bulk Electric System (BES) definition;
E. On October 20, 2015, FortisBC submitted a footprint change request to WECC for review of its registration footprint with the BC MRS Program;
F. On February 22, 2016, WECC issued a Recommendation for Change of Registration Footprint for FortisBC (Recommendation) considering specific FortisBC assets. In the Recommendation, WECC noted that all of the FortisBC reliability functions remain in place and are not affected by the footprint change. Specifically, WECC recommended:
1. Black Mountain Substation be removed from the BES
2. Princeton Terminal Station be removed from the BES
3. South Slocan Generating Station be removed from the BES
4. Brilliant Generating Station blackstart unit G2 be added to the BES
G. On February 25, 2016, and in response to the Recommendation, FortisBC informed the Commission that it had nothing further to add to WECC’s Recommendation; and
H. The Commission reviewed the Recommendation and considers acceptance is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 125.2(10) of the Utilities Commission Act and in accordance with the Registration Manual, the British Columbia Utilities Commission accepts the following changes to the registration footprint for FortisBC Inc.:
1. Black Mountain Substation, Princeton Terminal Station and South Slocan Generating Station are removed from the Bulk Electric System as of October 7, 2014, and FortisBC Inc. is not required to prove compliance with Mandatory Reliability Standards requirements for these assets as of this date.
2. Brilliant Generating Station blackstart unit G2 is added to the Bulk Electric System as of October 7, 2014, and FortisBC Inc. is required to prove compliance with Mandatory Reliability Standards requirements for this asset within a time period considered reasonable for assets newly added to the Bulk Electric System.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 3rd day of March 2016.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D. M. Morton
Commissioner