Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-107-16

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

FortisBC Inc.

Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

for the Corra Linn Dam Spillway Gate Replacement Project

BEFORE:

D. A. Cote, Panel Chair/Commissioner

M. Kresivo, Commissioner

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

on July 8, 2016

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On June 29, 2016 FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) submitted an Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) under sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) for the construction and operation of 14 replacement spillway gates and upgrades to the associated structures at the Corra Linn Dam (Application);

B.      In the Application, FortisBC describes that the project scope will include the design, construction and commissioning of the project components including:

                               1.            Replacement of the fourteen existing spillway gates at the Corra Linn Dam to meet seismic and flood withstand recommendations of the British Columbia Dam Safety Regulation (BCDSR) and Canadian Dam Association Dam Safety Guidelines (CDSG);

                               2.            Reinforcement of the existing towers and bridges to meet seismic and flood withstand recommendations of the BCDSR and CDSG;

                               3.            Refurbishment of the existing hoists; and

                               4.            Replacement of the existing embedded parts (gate guides, sill etc.) (Project);

C.      The estimated capital cost for the Project in as-spent dollars, including allowance for funds used during construction and abandonment/demolition costs of $5.434 million and removal costs of $6.094 million is $62.694 million;

D.      Completion of the project will result in a rate increase of 1.49 percent in 2022 which for a typical FortisBC residential customer consuming an average 991 kWh per month equates to a monthly bill increase of $1.83;

E.       The Project is planned to be completed in phases with the last spillway gate scheduled to be in-service by December 2020 and contractor demobilization and restoration to occur in early 2021;

F.       FortisBC requests that certain appendices of the Application relating to engineering, risk assessments, and cost estimates for the Project be treated as confidential due to commercial sensitivity and to maintain the safety and security of FortisBC’s assets; and

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

NOW THEREFORE the British Columbia Utilities Commission orders as follows:

1.       A written public hearing process shall proceed according to the Regulatory Timetable attached as Appendix A to this order.

2.       The Commission will hold detailed information related to engineering, risk assessments and cost estimates for the Project confidential, as requested by FortisBC Inc. until the Commission has had time to fully consider the confidentiality request at which time the confidentiality request may be approved or otherwise modified.

3.       FortisBC is to publish, as soon as possible, the Public Notice, attached as Appendix B to this order, in such local and community newspapers as to provide adequate notice to those parties who may have an interest in or be affected by the Application.

4.       The Application, together with any supporting materials, will be available for inspection at the FortisBC Office, Suite 100, 1975 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC   V1Y 7V7. The Application and supporting materials will also be available on the FortisBC Utilities' website at www.fortisbc.com.

5.       Interveners and interested parties must register with the Commission, in writing or by electronic submission, by August 2, 2016 in accordance with the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure made effective January 15, 2016. 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       8^th         day of July 2016.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. A. Cote

Commissioner

Attachments

FortisBC Inc.

Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity Application

for the Corra Linn Dam Spillway Gate Replacement Project

REGULATORY TIMETABLE

Public Notice of the Corra Linn Dam Spillway Gate Replacement Project

On June 29, 2016, FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act, for the construction and operation of 14 replacement spillway gates and upgrades to the associated structures at the Corra Linn Dam (Application).

In the Application, FortisBC describes that the project scope will include the design, construction and commissioning of the project components including:

1.       Replacement of the fourteen existing spillway gates at the Corra Linn Dam to meet seismic and flood withstand recommendations of the British Columbia Dam Safety Regulation (BCDSR) and Canadian Dam Association Dam Safety Guidelines (CDSG);

2.       Reinforcement of the existing towers and bridges to meet seismic and flood withstand recommendations of the BCDSR and CDSG;

3.       Refurbishment of the existing hoists; and

4.       Replacement of the existing embedded parts (gate guides, sill etc.).

The estimated capital cost for the Project in as-spent dollars, including allowance for funds used during construction and cost of removal, is $62.694 million. Completion of the project will result in a rate increase of 1.49% in 2022 which for a typical FortisBC residential customer consuming an average 991 kWh per month equates to an approximate monthly bill increase of $1.83. The Project is planned to complete in phases with the last spillway gate scheduled to be in-service by December 2020 and contractor demobilization and restoration to occur in early 2021.

How to get involved

Persons who are directly or sufficiently affected by the Commission’s decision or have relevant information, or expertise and who wish to actively participate in the proceeding can request intervener status by submitting a completed Request to Intervene Form by Tuesday August 2, 2016. Forms are available on the Commission’s website at www.bcuc.com. Interveners will receive notification of all non-confidential correspondence and filed documentation, and should provide an email address if available. 

Persons not expecting to participate, but who have an interest in the proceeding, should register as interested parties through the Commission’s website. Interested parties receive electronic notice of submissions and the decision when it is released.

Letters of comment may also be submitted using the Letter of Comment Form found online at www.bcuc.com. By participating and/or providing comment on the application, you agree to your comments being placed on the public record and posted on the Commission’s website. All submissions and/or correspondence received, including letters of comment are placed on the public record, posted on the Commission’s website and provided to the Panel and all participants in the proceeding.

For more information about participating in a Commission proceeding please see the Rules of Practice and Procedure available at www.bcuc.com. Alternatively, persons can request a copy of the Rules of Practice and Procedure in writing. All forms are available on the Commission’s website or can be requested in writing.

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 please contact Laurel Ross, Acting Commission Secretary using the contact information above.