Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-118-18

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Inc.

Application for Approval of the Fiscal 2018/2019 Revenue Requirements and Cost of Service Rates

for the Thermal Energy Service to Delta School District No. 37

BEFORE:

W. M. Everett, QC, Panel Chair/Commissioner

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

M. Kresivo, QC, Commissioner

on June 29, 2018

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On February 8, 2018, pursuant to sections 59-61 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Inc. (FAES) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for approval of its revenue requirements and rates for the thermal energy service to Delta School District No. 37 (DSD), based on a proposed switch from the current market rate to the cost of service (COS) rate of $0.223 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) effective July 1, 2018, for the fiscal and contract year from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 (Application);

B.      On April 5, 2018, pursuant to Order G-56-18, a procedural conference was held to address issues related to the appropriate level of intervention in the proceeding, the appropriate regulatory process, and whether the BCUC should approve interim rates at FAES’ proposed COS rate effective July 1, 2018. FAES and DSD attended and made submissions at the procedural conference;

C.      By Order G-77-18 dated April 12, 2018 and accompanying reasons for decision, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable which included intervener registration, BCUC and intervener information requests (IRs) on the Application, the filing of DSD evidence, BCUC and FAES IRs on the DSD evidence, the filing of rebuttal evidence by FAES, and BCUC and DSD IRs on FAES’ rebuttal evidence, with further process to be determined. The BCUC also approved the existing market rate mechanism and resulting market rate on an interim and refundable basis, effective July 1, 2018;

D.      By Order G-83-18 dated April 27, 2018, pursuant to a written request made by DSD and agreed to by FAES, the regulatory timetable was amended with extensions to all deadlines by 12 days, given that DSD did not receive notice of the timetable established in Order G-77-18;

E.       On June 21, 2018, DSD filed a letter with the BCUC requesting a further amendment to the regulatory timetable. DSD submits that it requires a 30-day extension to the deadline for filing intervener evidence due to the volume of evidence and specific issues raised in FAES’ submissions, and that FAES has consented to an extension on the condition that all subsequent deadlines in the regulatory timetable also be extended by 30 days; and

F.       The BCUC considers that amending the regulatory timetable established by Order G-83-18 is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders that the regulatory timetable established by Order G-83-18 be amended, as set out in Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                 29^th                 day of June 2018.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

W. M. Everett, QC

Commissioner

Attachment

FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Inc.

Application for Approval of the Fiscal 2018/2019 Revenue Requirements and Cost of Service Rates

for the Thermal Energy Service to Delta School District No. 37