Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-11-18

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Open Access Transmission Tariff Dynamic Scheduling Amendments Application

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Panel Chair/Commissioner

D. A. Cote, Commissioner

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

on March 8, 2018

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On October 2, 2017, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) submitted its Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) Dynamic Scheduling Amendments Application (Application) pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act, seeking approval of Amendments to Attachment Q-1, Dynamic Scheduling:

•         to allow for dynamic scheduling on imports, as well as exports as currently allowed;

•         to allow dynamic scheduling on Firm Point-To-Point Transmission Service, Non-Firm Point-To-Point Transmission Service and Network Integration Transmission Service, which includes Network Economy Service; and

•         to make changes of a housekeeping nature relating to the definition of terms, correction of typographical errors, simplification and clarification of the language;

B.      By Order G-160-17, dated October 20, 2017, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) established a written hearing process and a regulatory timetable with one round of information requests to review the Application. In this proceeding, the British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. (BCOAPO) and Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC) registered as interveners;

C.      On January 26, 2018, by Order G-20-18, the Commission approved the Application;

D.      The following participants filed Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) applications with the Commission with respect to their participation in the proceeding:

E.       By letter dated February 20, 2018, BC Hydro provided its comments on the BCOAPO PACA application, stating it to be reasonable and consistent with the Commission’s funding guidelines;

F.       By letter dated February 21, 2018, BC Hydro provided its comments on the CEC PACA application, stating it is approximately 70 percent higher than the PACA funding request for other registered interveners in this proceeding. In BC Hydro’s view, the contribution to the proceeding made by CEC and the other registered interveners were similar. BC Hydro leaves it at the discretion of the Commission as to the level of cost awards to be made;

G.      By letter dated March 6, 2018, CEC provided its response to BC Hydro’s comments and requested that the Commission provide full payment for CEC’s PACA funding request; and

H.      The Commission has reviewed the PACA applications in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines, attached to Commission Order G-97-17, and concludes that the cost awards should be approved.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 118(1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the Commission orders as follows:

1.       Funding is awarded to the following interveners in the listed amounts for their participation in the BC Hydro OATT Dynamic Scheduling Amendments Application proceeding:

2.       BC Hydro is directed to reimburse the above-noted participants for the awarded amount in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this               8th                day of March 2018.

BY ORDER

Original Signed By:

D. M. Morton

Commissioner