Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-6-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

Application for Approval of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

For Construction of the Watson Island Customer Tie-In

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

BEFORE:

R. I. Mason, Panel Chair

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

on February 18, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On September 5, 2019, Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) seeking approval for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), for the Watson Island customer tie-in (WICT) Project (Application);

B.      In the Application, PNG also sought approval under section 39 of the UCA to enter into a gas sales agreement (GSA) to provide natural gas service to Pembina for an initial period of 20 years;

C.      By Order C-4-19 dated October 9, 2019, the BCUC approved the CPCN and the GSA, and established a written hearing process and regulatory timetable for the review of the appropriate depreciation rates for the WICT Project assets. This regulatory timetable, amended by Order G-266-19, included one round of information requests, letters of comment and written Final Argument;

D.      By Order G-343-19 dated December 24, 2019, the BCUC issued its final determinations on the appropriate depreciation rates for the WICT Project assets;

E.       The following participant filed a Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) Application with the BCUC with respect to its participation in the proceeding:

F.       By email dated February 3, 2020, PNG provided its comments on the BCOAPO’s PACA Application, stating that it finds the PACA application to be reasonable; and

G.     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 PACA funding is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       Funding is awarded to the following intervener in the listed amount for their participation in the PNG Application for Approval of a CPCN for the WICT Project.:

2.       PNG 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                18^th                  day of February 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

R. I. Mason

Commissioner