Orders

ORDER NUMBER

E-24-18

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

Application for Acceptance of

2018/2019 Natural Gas Supply Contracts

BEFORE:

D. J. Enns, Commissioner

R. D. Revel, Commissioner

on November 22, 2018

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On October 26, 2018, pursuant to section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) an application to accept natural gas supply contracts for the period November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019 (Application);

B.      By Order G-130-06 dated October 26, 2006, the BCUC approved Rules for Natural Gas Energy Supply Contracts (Rules). Appendix A of Order G-130-06 contains the Rules, which are intended to facilitate the BCUC’s review of natural gas energy supply contracts, pursuant to section 71 of the UCA;

C.      By Letter L-21-18 dated July 20, 2018, the BCUC accepted a confidential filing from Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. and Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd. (altogether PNG) of an Annual Contracting Plan for the period November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019 (2018-19 ACP) as in the public interest, and with respect to the PNG-West, Fort St. John/Dawson Creek and Tumbler Ridge service areas;

D.      PNG has requested that details of the filing be kept confidential for reasons of commercial sensitivity and submits that disclosure of this information may adversely affect PNG’s ability to secure the most competitively price gas supply arrangements in the future; and

E.       The BCUC has reviewed the natural gas supply contracts, as shown in Appendix A to this Order, and is satisfied that they are appropriate considering market conditions at the time they were negotiated, consistent with the 2018-19 ACP, and in the public interest.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to sections 71 of the UCA, and the BCUC Rules for Natural Gas Energy Supply Contracts, the BCUC orders the following:

1.       The Application filing natural gas contracts with the BCUC, as shown in Appendix A to this Order, is accepted.

2.       PNG is directed to file a report that details gas supply arrangements for the balance of the 2018-19 ACP (April 2019 to October 2019) no later than April 15, 2019, and in the same format as provided in Table 2 of the Application.

3.       The BCUC will hold the information in the Application and related filings confidential as they contain commercially sensitive information.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this            22^nd           day of November 2018.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. J. Enns,

Commissioner

Attachment

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

Application for Acceptance of

2018/2019 Natural Gas Supply Contracts