ORDER NUMBER
R-17-16
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
Cape Scott Wind LP
Application to Change 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. Section 125.2 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) assigns exclusive jurisdiction to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) to determine whether a “reliability standard,” as defined in the UCA, is in the public interest and should be adopted in British Columbia;
B. 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 UCA and on June 4, 2009, the Commission issued Order G-67-09 specifying that entities subject to reliability standards must register with the Commission;
C. 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 Program (BC MRS Program);
D. The Registration Manual, approved by Commission Order G-123-09 and amended by Commission Order R‑34-15, requires an Entity to notify WECC of any change in circumstance affecting its registration and allows the Entity 21 days to respond to any registration recommendation issued by WECC;
E. By Order R-8-14, dated March 25, 2014, the Commission approved the registration of Cape Scott Wind LP (Cape Scott) for the functions of Generator Owner (GO), Generator Operator (GOP) and Transmission Owner (TO) with the BC MRS Program;
F. 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;
G. On July 17, 2014, by Order R-32-14, the Commission adopted Reliability Standards FAC-001-1, FAC-003-3, PRC-004-2.1a and PRC-005-1.1b that require a GO and GOP to assume compliance responsibilities for TO and Transmission Operator (TOP) requirements for the transmission line that connects generation to the BES. Commission Order R-32-14 also specified British Columbia effective dates for each reliability standard, the last of which was August 1, 2015 for FAC-003-3;
H. On November 17, 2015, the UCA was amended to repeal sections 125.2(8) and 125.2(9) concerning the applicability of reliability standards and include updated sections 125.2(8) and 125.2(9), pursuant to which, the Commission may, by order, specify that a reliability standard adopted under the UCA applies or does not apply to a specified person, a class of persons or a person in respect of specified equipment;
I. In consideration of the compliance requirements of the four reliability standards applicable to a GO and GOP noted above, Cape Scott requested that WECC review its registration with the BC MRS Program;
J. On April 21, 2016, WECC issued a Recommendation for Deregistration of Cape Scott for the TO function (Recommendation) and noted that if Cape Scott were registered as a Transmission Operator, Cape Scott’s registration as such would also no longer be required;
K. On May 9, 2016, and in response to the Recommendation, Cape Scott informed the Commission that it was pleased with WECC’s recommendation and had no further comments; and
L. The Commission reviewed the Recommendation and considers deregistration of Cape Scott for the TO function 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 approves that Cape Scott Wind LP be deregistered for the Transmission Owner function with the British Columbia Mandatory Reliability Standards Program.
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