Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-66-17

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

FortisBC Inc.

Application for a Community Solar Pilot Project

BEFORE:

R. D. Revel, Panel Chair/Commissioner

W. M. Everett, Q.C., Commissioner

on May 8, 2017

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On April 26, 2017, FortisBC Inc. (FBC) filed, pursuant to section 44.2 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), an application seeking acceptance of a capital expenditure schedule relating to the proposed Community Solar Pilot Project (the Ellison Solar Project);

B.      FBC also requests approval of the solar Rate Schedules 85A and 85B;

C.      FBC proposes to construct and operate a 240 kilowatt solar array, composed of 720 solar panels, on land it currently owns adjacent to its Ellison Substation;

D.      FBC estimates the capital cost of the Ellison Solar Project to be $960,744 and proposes to include the capital costs of the project within its 2017 formula capital spending envelope from its 2014–2019 Performance-Based Ratemaking (PBR) plan;

E.       Rate Schedule 85A is a Virtual Solar Rate which, if approved, would allow FBC to offer customers, for a fee, the measured output of solar panels from a defined solar generation resource. The proposed fee for panels from the Ellison Solar Project is $6.75 per panel per month;

F.       Rate Schedule 85B is a Solar Offset Rate which, if approved, would allow FBC to offer customers the option to offset a portion of their electricity consumption with solar generation from a defined solar generation resource. The proposed rate for the Ellison Solar Project is $0.231 per kilowatt-hour; and

G.     The Commission has considered the application and finds that a public hearing for its review is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:

1.       A public hearing is established for review of the FortisBC Inc. (FBC) Community Solar Pilot Project Application. The regulatory timetable is set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       By no later than Tuesday, May 9, 2017, FBC is to provide an electronic copy of its application and this order and regulatory timetable to: all registered interveners and interested parties in the FBC Net Metering Tariff Update Application proceeding, the Clean Energy Association of British Columbia, Bullfrog Power Inc. and any other parties FBC identifies whom may be affected by the plans outlined in the application. FBC must provide paper copies of the application to any requesting parties in a timely manner. FBC must also post the application and this order on its website.

3.       Parties who wish to participate in the regulatory proceeding are to register with the Commission by completing a Request to Intervene Form, available on the Commission’s website at http://www.bcuc.com/Registration-Intervener-1.aspx, by the date established in the Regulatory Timetable attached as Appendix A to this order, and in accordance with the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure attached to Order G-1-16.

4.       Parties who wish to receive electronic notification of filings for this proceeding should register online as an interested party available on the Commission’s website at http://www.bcuc.com/Registration-InterestedParty.aspx

5.       Members of the public are invited to provide letters of comment on the application to the Commission. Letters of comment must be in the Letter of Comment Form and submitted by email to commission.secretary@bcuc.com or, by mail, courier or personal delivery to the British Columbia Utilities Commission, Sixth Floor, 900 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2N3.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                 8^th                  day of May 2017.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

R. D. Revel

Panel Chair/Commissioner

Attachment

FortisBC Inc.

Application for a Community Solar Pilot Project

REGULATORY TIMETABLE