ORDER NUMBER
E-11-16
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Inc.
Filing of Energy Supply Contracts with Powerex Corporation
BEFORE:
D. M. Morton, Commissioner
D. J. Enns, Commissioner
W. M. Everett, Commissioner
H. G. Harowitz, Commissioner
R. I. Mason, Commissioner
R. D. Revel, Commissioner
on July 14, 2016
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On June 16, 2016, pursuant to section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act, FortisBC Inc. (FBC) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) eight energy supply contracts between FBC and Powerex Corporation (Powerex) for the purchase of wholesale market energy (Application);
B. By Order G-61-12 dated May 17, 2012, the Commission approved Rules for Energy Supply Contracts for Electricity (Rules). The Rules facilitate the Commission’s review of energy supply contracts for electricity and proposed energy supply contracts for electricity under section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act;
C. By Order E-10-15 dated April 27, 2015, the Commission accepted the Capacity and Energy Purchase and Sale Agreement (CEPSA) between FBC and Powerex. The CEPSA is a master agreement that sets out the terms and conditions for future market transactions, regarding capacity and energy, entered into by FBC with Powerex;
D. By Letter L-8-16 dated April 21, 2016, the Commission accepted FBC’s 2016/2017 Annual Electric Contracting Plan (AECP);
E. The energy supply contracts in the Application are for the purchase of wholesale firm market energy during the fourth quarters of 2016 and 2017 and the first quarters of 2017 and 2018 (Agreements). The Agreements were executed between May 5, 2016 and May 19, 2016 and were made pursuant to the CEPSA;
F. FBC requests that the information in the Application and the Agreements be kept confidential due to its commercially sensitive nature. FBC provided notice of its filing and redacted versions of the Agreements to interveners in its most recent annual review of rates application, the Annual Review for 2016 Rates; and
G. The Commission reviewed the filing and is satisfied that the Agreements are in the public interest and consistent with FBC’s 2016/2017 AECP and that the information in the filing should be kept confidential.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act, the British Columbia Utilities Commission accepts the energy supply contracts executed between May 5, 2016 and May 19, 2016 between FortisBC Inc. and Powerex Corporation. The Commission will keep the Application and the Agreements confidential due to their commercially sensitive nature.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 15th day of July 2016.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D. M. Morton
Commissioner