Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-219-19

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

FortisBC Energy Inc.

Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

for the Inland Gas Upgrades Project

BEFORE:

A. K. Fung, QC, Panel Chair

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

R. D. Revel, Commissioner

on September 11, 2019

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On December 17, 2018, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) submitted an application to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the Inland Gas Upgrades (IGU) Project (Application);

B.      By Orders G-11-19 and G-79-19 dated January 17, 2019 and April 12, 2019, respectively, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable for the review of the Application which included, among other things, two rounds of BCUC and intervener information requests (IR), FEI responses to IRs and a placeholder for a workshop/procedural conference;

C.      On June 27, 2019, the BCUC issued a letter confirming that a procedural conference would take place on
July 10, 2019 (Procedural Conference Letter). The Procedural Conference Letter identified key issues related to the need for and timing of the IGU Project and requested that parties provide submissions at the procedural conference on the most appropriate process to address these issues;

D.      By letter dated July 3, 2019, FEI requested the opportunity at the commencement of the procedural conference to make a presentation specifically to address the issues identified in the Procedural Conference Letter and to provide the parties the opportunity to ask questions on the presentation. FEI proposed that subsequent to the presentation and question period, parties provide submissions on further process;

E.       By letter dated July 5, 2019, the BCUC granted FEI’s request to make a presentation at the commencement of the procedural conference;

F.       The procedural conference took place on July 10, 2019 and was attended by FEI and the following interveners: British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al.; and Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC);

G.     By Order G-153-19 dated July 11, 2019, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable for the review of the Application which included, among other things, a third round of BCUC and intervener IRs, FEI responses to IRs and a placeholder for a either a Streamlined Review Process (SRP) or FEI’s written final argument for September 18, 2019;

H.      By letter dated September 4, 2019 (filed as Exhibit B-18 to this proceeding), FEI requested a two-week extension from the date of issuance of a further BCUC order to adequately prepare for either a SRP or the filing of its written final argument;

I.        By letter dated September 6, 2019 (filed as Exhibit A-15 to this proceeding), the BCUC requested that any party objecting to FEI’s extension request file its written objection with reasons by September 10, 2019;

J.        By letter dated September 10, 2019 (filed as Exhibit C4-11 to this proceeding), CEC confirmed that it has no objection to FEI’s extension request; and

K.      The BCUC has considered the evidence and the submissions from the parties and finds that establishing a further regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       The SRP tentatively scheduled for September 18, 2019 is cancelled.

2.       A further regulatory timetable for the review of the Application, as set out in Appendix A to this order, is established.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this            11^th          day of September 2019.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

A. K. Fung, QC

Commissioner

Attachment

FortisBC Energy Inc.

Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

for the Inland Gas Upgrades Project