ORDER NUMBER
R-16-16
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
Jimmie Creek Limited Partnership
Application for Registration required for compliance with
Mandatory Reliability Standards
BEFORE:
D. M. Morton, Commissioner
D. J. Enns, Commissioner
W. M. Everett, Commissioner
R. I. Mason, Commissioner
on May 12, 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. On October 7, 2014, Ministerial Order M325 amended the MRS Regulation to include a revised definition of the bulk power system to reference the Bulk Electric System (BES) definition and to clarify that a reliability standard adopted under section 125.2(6) of the UCA applies to all owners, operators and direct users of an element that is part of the bulk power system;
D. Although Jimmie Creek Limited Partnership’s (Jimmie Creek) generation assets are not yet operational, some of its transmission assets are, and as such, Jimmie Creek submitted an application to WECC for registration with the BC MRS Program;
E. On April 15, 2016, WECC issued a Recommendation for Registration of Jimmie Creek with the BC MRS Program (Recommendation). In the Recommendation, WECC noted that Jimmie Creek meets the requirements in the MRS Regulation as an Inclusion I2: Generating resource that is connected at a voltage of 100 kV or above with a gross individual nameplate rating greater than 20 MVA and WECC recommended that Jimmie Creek be registered as a Generator Owner and Generator Operator;
F. WECC also noted that responsibility for operational authority and compliance responsibility of the Jimmie Creek Transmission Owner (TO) and Transmission Operator (TOP) functions are assigned to Toba Montrose General Partnership (TMGP) through assignment agreements between Jimmie Creek and TMGP for TO effective October 14, 2014, and between TMGP and British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority for TOP effective February 19, 2016;
G. On May 5, 2016, Jimmie Creek informed the Commission it is comfortable with the WECC recommendation and confirmed that it is not yet operational; and
H. The Commission reviewed the Recommendation and considers registration of Jimmie Creek as GO and GOP is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 125.2(10) of the Utilities Commission Act and in accordance with the Registration Manual that is Appendix 1 to the Rules of Procedure for Reliability Standards in British Columbia, the British Columbia Utilities Commission orders as follows:
1. Jimmie Creek Limited Partnership is registered for the functions of Generator Owner and Generator Operator with the British Columbia Mandatory Reliability Standards Program with a compliance date to be specified once the operational date of the facility is determined.
2. Compliance responsibilities for Transmission Owner and Transmission Operator functions are recognized as assigned through assignment agreements with Toba Montrose General Partnership.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 13th day of May 2016.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D. M. Morton
Commissioner