Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-139-17

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

FortisBC Inc.

2016 Long Term Electric Resource Plan and

2016 Long Term Demand Side Management Plan

BEFORE:

H. G. Harowitz, Panel Chair/Commissioner

D. J. Enns, Commissioner

M. Kresivo, QC, Commissioner

on September 13, 2017

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On September 8, 2017, FortisBC Inc. (FBC) filed a letter to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) with a proposed regulatory timetable following its evaluation of the errors in respect of the British Columbia Conservation Potential Review contained in its 2016 Long Term Electric Resource Plan (2016 LTERP) and Long Term Demand-Side Management (DSM) Plan (2016 LTDSM Plan)(Regulatory Timetable Proposal);

B.      In the Regulatory Timetable Proposal, FBC states that the impact of the changes to the DSM Scenario costs is relatively small and does not materially affect the outcomes of the 2016 LTERP and 2016 LTDSM Plan. FBC intends to file errata to the LTERP and LTDSM Plan on or before September 15, 2017, and proposes that the Regulatory Timetable be amended to permit interveners to review the errata and to comment on whether further process is required before proceeding to the Final Argument stage of the proceeding;

C.      On November 30, 2016, FBC applied to the Commission pursuant to section 44.1(6) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) for acceptance of its 2016 LTERP and 2016 LTDSM Plan, as Volumes 1 and 2, respectively (Application);

D.      The 2016 LTERP presents a long-term plan for meeting the forecast peak and energy requirements of FBC customers with demand-side and supply-side resources over the next 20 years. The 2016 LTERP includes a preferred portfolio to meet the long-term requirements of FBC customers as well as an action plan that identifies activities that FBC expects to take during the first four years of the 20-year planning horizon;

E.       The 2016 LTDSM Plan includes an assessment of the energy efficiency and conservation potential for FBC customers. It provides FBC with different levels of demand-side resource options to assess along with supply-side resource options in order to address the forecast load-resource balance gaps identified in the 2016 LTERP over the 20-year planning horizon. The 2016 LTDSM Plan also identifies FBC’s preferred DSM scenario for long term planning purposes;

F.       Section 44.1(5) of the UCA provides that the Commission may establish a process to review a long-term resource plan;

G.      By Order G-197-16, the Commission established a written hearing for review of the Application and established a Regulatory Timetable;

H.      By Order G-102-17 and G-107-17, the Commission amended the Regulatory Timetable established by Order G-197-16;

I.        On August 25, 2017, FBC filed an application to suspend the filed 2016 LTERP and 2016 LTDSM Plan Regulatory Timetable established by Order G-107-17 (Request for Suspension);

J.        In the Request for Suspension, FBC indicates that it identified errors in the assumptions supporting the British Columbia Conservation Potential Review (CPR) for the FBC service territory. FBC is conducting an evaluation of the impact of these errors to determine whether there is a resulting impact to the 2016 LTERP and/or 2016 LTDSM Plan, and the extent of any further evidence that may need to be filed;

K.      By Order G-134-17, the Commission ordered that the Regulatory Timetable for the 2016 LTERP and 2016 LTDSM Plan is suspended until further notice;

L.       On September 12, 2017, Mr. Shadrack filed a submission in reply to FBC’s Regulatory Timetable Proposal; and

M.    The Panel has considered FBC’s Regulatory Timetable Proposal and the evidentiary record, and considers that a Regulatory Timetable should be established to continue the review of the Application.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders that the review of the Application is to resume in accordance with the Regulatory Timetable attached as Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this            13^th           day of September 2017.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

H. G. Harowitz

Commissioner

Attachment

FortisBC Inc.

2016 Long Term Electric Resource Plan and

2016 Long Term Demand Side Management Plan