Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-2-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Application for Approval of Section 2.5 Guidelines

for Tariff Supplement No. 3 to Rate Schedule 3808

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

BEFORE:

B. A. Magnan, Panel Chair

R. D. Revel, Commissioner

on January 15, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On December 15, 2014, in compliance with Order G-60-14 dated May 6, 2014, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed an Application for Approval of Section 2.5 Guidelines for Tariff Supplement No. 3 to Rate Schedule 3808 (Application);

B.      On December 19, 2014, by Order G-205-14, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) established a regulatory timetable for the review of the Application, which included intervener registration and submissions on further process;

C.      The Association of Major Power Customers of BC (AMPC), BC Sustainable Energy Association and the Sierra Club of British Columbia (BCSEA), British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization, Active Support Against Poverty, Disability Alliance BC Counsel of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC, and the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (BCOAPO et al.), Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (the CEC), FortisBC Inc. (FBC), Alan Wait, and Zellstoff Celgar Partnership Limited (Celgar) registered as interveners;

D.      To ensure regulatory efficiency, by Order G-4-15 dated January 13, 2015, the BCUC suspended the regulatory timetable and on July 23, 2019, BC Hydro filed a request to withdraw its Application;

E.       By letters dated September 11, 2019 and October 23, 2019, the proceeding to review the Application was resumed and the BCUC requested written submissions from registered interveners on BC Hydro’s request to withdraw the Application. AMPC, BCSEA, BCOAPO et al., the CEC, FBC and Celgar provided submissions on November 6, 2019, and no objections were raised;

F.       On November 18, 2019, by Order G-289-19, the BCUC approved BC Hydro’s request to withdraw its Application for Approval of Section 2.5 Guidelines for Tariff Supplement No. 3 to Rate Schedule 3808, and the Application was dismissed;

G.     The following participant filed Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) application with the BCUC with respect to their participation in the proceeding:

H.      By letter dated January 2, 2020, BC Hydro provided its comments on the PACA application, stating that it considers that the intervener contributed towards a better understanding of the Application and BC Hydro leaves it to the BCUC as to the level of cost award to be made; and

I.        The BCUC has reviewed the PACA application in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines, attached to Order G-97-17, and concludes that the cost award should be approved.

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

1.       Funding is awarded to the following intervener in the listed amount for their participation in the proceeding to review BC Hydro’s Application for Approval of Section 2.5 Guidelines for Tariff Supplement No. 3 to Rate Schedule 3808:

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

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this    15^th   day of January 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

B. A. Magnan

Commissioner