Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-48-18

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Application to Amend Open Access Transmission Tariff

Rate Schedule 09 – Loss Compensation Service

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Commissioner

D. J. Enns, Commissioner

W. M. Everett, QC, Commissioner

H. G. Harowitz, Commissioner

M. Kresivo, QC, Commissioner

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

R. I. Mason, Commissioner

R. D. Revel, Commissioner

on February 22, 2018

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On January 18, 2018, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) for approval to remove the termination date from Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) Rate Schedule 09 (Application) on the basis that:

1.       The termination date is a legacy of the relationship between BC Hydro and the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC);

2.       The removal of the termination date will improve regulatory efficiency; and

3.       BC Hydro does not offer OATT Rate Schedule 09 (RS 09) on a temporary basis and would not terminate the rate schedule by allowing it to expire;

B.      On February 10, 2006, BCTC filed an application for Loss Compensation Service (LCS) to be provided under its OATT, subject to the condition that approval of LCS be limited to a period of one year beginning March 1, 2006;

C.       On February 14, 2006, BC Hydro filed an application in support of BCTC’s LCS application, and to apply for a
one-year approval of the rates, terms and conditions of Rate Schedule 3016 (RS 3016) – Energy Service Available to BCTC for Loss Compensation Service, beginning March 1, 2006;

D.      By Order G-18-06 dated February 27, 2006, the Commission approved the BCTC’s LCS application and BC Hydro’s RS 3016 for a period of one year, beginning March 1, 2006;

E.       By Order G-38-07 dated February 26, 2007, the Commission approved an application by BCTC to extend the rates, terms and conditions for LCS, and a corresponding application by BC Hydro to extend the termination date of RS 3016, for a two-year period, from March 1, 2007 to March 1, 2009;

F.       By Order G-13-09 dated February 26, 2009, the Commission approved an application by BCTC to extend the termination date of RS 09, and a corresponding application by BC Hydro to extend the termination date of RS 3016, for a two year period, from March 1, 2009 to March 1, 2011;

G.      By Order G-192-10 dated December 9, 2010, the Commission approved amendments to the OATT and related tariff supplements and rate schedules to reflect the integration of BC Hydro and BCTC pursuant to the Clean Energy Act, including the cancellation of BC Hydro’s RS 3016 and incorporating LCS pricing into OATT RS09 – Loss Compensation  Service Pricing;

H.      The RS 09 termination date was further extended as follows:

1.       From March 1, 2011 to March 1, 2012 by Order G-33-11, dated February 4, 2011;

2.       From March 1, 2012 to March 1, 2013 by Order G-16-12, dated February 24, 2012; and

3.       From March 1, 2013 to March 1, 2018 by Order G-59-13, dated April 18, 2013;

I.        BC Hydro requests an interim approval of a six-month extension of the termination date to September 1, 2018, if the regulatory process cannot be completed by February 28, 2018; and

J.        The Commission has reviewed the Application and determines that a regulatory timetable should be established.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act, the Commission orders as follows:

1.       The Commission accepts the application to extend the termination date applicable to Rate Schedule 09 - Loss Compensation Service from March 1, 2018 to September 1, 2018.

2.       BC Hydro is directed to publish a copy of this order on its website and notify registered interveners in the
BC Hydro 2017-2019 Revenue Requirements Application and FortisBC Inc.’s Self-Generation Policy Stage II Application proceedings, by providing them with a copy of this order and/or the link on the Commission’s website within five business days of the date of this order.

3.       The regulatory timetable for the review of the Application to remove the termination date from Rate Schedule 09 - Loss Compensation Service is established as set out in Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this       28^th       day of February 2018.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

R. I. Mason

Commissioner

Attachment

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Application to Amend Open Access Transmission Tariff

Rate Schedule 09 – Loss Compensation Service

REGULATORY TIMETABLE