Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-131-17

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Customer Emergency Fund Pilot Program Application

BEFORE:

K. A. Keilty, Commissioner/Panel Chair

W. M. Everett, QC, Commissioner

on August 24, 2017

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On July 24, 2017, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission), pursuant to sections 58-61 and 49(a) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), the Customer Emergency Fund (CEF) Pilot Program Application (Application) for approval of the following:

a.       Rate Schedule 1903, to establish a CEF Rate Rider, effective June 1, 2018;

b.      An amendment to Rate Schedule 1901, to exclude the application of the Deferral Account Rate Rider to the CEF Rate Rider, effective June 1, 2018;

c.       Certain amendments to BC Hydro’s Electric Tariff related to the Application (CEF Tariff Changes), effective June 1, 2018; and

d.      The establishment of the CEF Regulatory Account, effective the date of the Commission’s order approving the Application;

B.      Following the public hearing of the 2015 Rate Design Application (2015 RDA), the Commission issued Order G-5-17 and accompanying Decision on January 20, 2017. In the 2015 RDA Decision, the Commission approved the establishment of a pilot Crisis Intervention Fund and directed BC Hydro to file a proposal for a pilot program within six months of the date of the Decision;

C.      BC Hydro proposes that, due to the limited scope of the Application and the fact that the low-income rate proposals have already been extensively addressed in the 2015 RDA proceeding, the review of the Application will proceed by way of a streamlined review process (SRP) with one round of information requests preceding the SRP; and

D.      The Commission has reviewed the Application and considers that a regulatory timetable should be established.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:

1.       A regulatory timetable is established, as set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       BC Hydro is to file supplementary information to the Application providing further and better particulars and analysis of the costs presented in Tables 2 and 3 of the Application, by the date established in the regulatory timetable attached as Appendix A to this order.

3.       An SRP will be held on Thursday, November 9, 2017, commencing at 9:00 a.m. at the Commission Hearing Room on the 12^th Floor, 1125 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC. Parties should be prepared to provide oral final and reply arguments, as applicable, at the SRP. Details regarding the Commission’s SRP Policy, Guidelines and Procedures can be found on the Commission website at http://www.bcuc.com/resources/guidelines.html. Detailed instructions for the SRP will be provided prior to the SRP date.

4.       Parties wishing to submit questions in advance of the SRP to facilitate the efficient review of more technical issues at the SRP are directed to submit these questions in writing to BC Hydro by Friday, October 13, 2017, with copies to the Commission and the other parties. BC Hydro is directed to respond to these questions either at the SRP or to file responses in advance of the SRP.

5.       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/Documents/Participant-Info/Request-to-intervene.pdf, 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. Parties who request to intervene should clearly state on the Request to Intervene Form the key issues they would like addressed in the proceeding.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this              24^th               day of August, 2017.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

K. A. Keilty

Commissioner

Attachment

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Customer Emergency Fund Pilot Program Application

                *Location:           Commission Hearing Room

                                                12^th Floor, 1125 Howe Street

                                                Vancouver, BC