Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-61-16

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

2015 Rate Design Application

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Commissioner/Panel Chair

D. A. Cote, Commissioner

K. A. Keilty, Commissioner

on May 4, 2016

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed on September 24, 2015, pursuant to sections 58-61 of the Utilities Commission Act, the 2015 Rate Design Application (RDA);

B.      On February 1, 2016, the Commission issued Order G-12-16 which directed that a number of topics proceed directly to either written argument or to a negotiated settlement, and directed the remaining topics to be reviewed through an oral hearing process in accordance with the regulatory timetable that was included in Section 4.0 of the attached Reasons;

C.      In the attached Reasons to Order G-12-16, the Commission established that further determination on the review of the Residential E-Plus program would be made following the responses to Information Requests (IRs) by BC Hydro on February 12, 2016;

D.      By Order G-50-16 dated April 13, 2016, the Commission issued an amended regulatory timetable as Appendix A to the order following a round of submissions from BC Hydro and interveners;

E.       By letter dated April 20, 2016, the Commission sought submissions, with the right of reply, from all parties on the review process for the Residential E-Plus rate design;

F.       By May 2, 2016, the Commission received submissions from seven parties and reply submission from three parties:

1.       BC Hydro with reply;

2.       Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC);

3.       British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al.;

4.       BC Sustainable Energy Association and Sierra Club BC (BCSEA) with reply;

5.       Association of Major Power Customers (AMPC) with reply;

6.       Zone II Rate Payers Group;

7.       E-Plus Homeowners Group (EHOG);

G.     Among parties who made submissions, no party was in favour of an oral hearing process for the review of the Residential E-Plus program, although BC Hydro indicates that if the Commission decides on an oral hearing, BC Hydro will make available witnesses. CEC, BCSEA, AMPC in reply, EHOG and BC Hydro support a written process. EHOG also indicates that it would be filing intervener evidence and is prepared to answer in writing any IRs. It further requests that the May 9, 2016 date be moved back by at least one week to
May 16, 2016;

H.      The Commission received no opposition to EHOG’s requests to revise the intervener evidence deadline for EHOG; and

I.        The Panel has considered the submissions and reply submissions on the review process for the Residential
E-Plus rate design.

NOW THEREFORE, the British Columbia Utilities Commission orders as follows:

1         The request by the E-Plus Homeowners Group for a later filing date for Intervener Evidence is granted. The date is set for May 18, 2016.

2         The regulatory timetable established by Order G-50-16 is amended and attached as Appendix A to this order. Except for the May 18, 2016 date set for Intervener Evidence from EHOG, all other dates remain unchanged.

3      The review of the Residential E-Plus rate design will proceed by way of a written hearing in accordance with the argument phase to be determined in the regulatory timetable for the proceeding.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this          4^th            day of May 2016.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. M. Morton

Commissioner/Panel Chair

Attachment

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

2015 Rate Design Application

REGULATORY TIMETABLE