Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-38-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

AltaGas Canada Inc. and PSPIB Cycle Investments Inc.

Application to Acquire a Reviewable Interest in Each of

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. And Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd.

BEFORE:

W. M. Everett, QC, Panel Chair

C. M. Brewer, Commissioner

M. Kresivo, QC, Commissioner

on March 3, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On November 19, 2019, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) received a joint application from AltaGas Canada Inc. (ACI) and PSPIB Cycle Investments Inc. (PSPIB), pursuant to section 54 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), for PSPIB to acquire a reviewable interest in each of Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) and PNG’s wholly owned subsidiary Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd (PNG(N.E.)) through the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of ACI (altogether the Application);

B.      PNG is a direct wholly owned subsidiary of ACI;

C.      PNG provides natural gas distribution service to 12 communities in northwestern British Columbia and PNG(N.E.) provides natural gas distribution service to communities in northeastern British Columbia;

D.      PNG and PNG(N.E.) are public utilities regulated by the BCUC under the UCA;

E.       PSPIB seeks BCUC approval to acquire all the common shares of ACI, which, if approved, will result in PSPIB acquiring a reviewable interest in both PNG and PNG(N.E.);

F.       On December 19, 2019, by Order G-344-19, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable for the review of the Application;

G.     On December 24, 2019, PNG filed a letter with the BCUC stating, due to publication date cut-offs, it is unable to publish the Notice of Application by January 6, 2020 and requested an extension to the Regulatory Timetable set out in Order G-344-19. On December 31, 2019, the BCUC issued Order G-345-19 amending the Regulatory Timetable;

H.      On January 10, 2020, PNG and PNG(N.E.), on behalf of ACI and PSPIB, informed the BCUC that the Public Notice was published in the appropriate news publications in PNG’s service areas in accordance with the Regulatory Timetable established by BCUC Order G-345-19;

I.        On February 3, 2020, British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. (BCOAPO) submitted their request to intervene;

J.        On February 3, 2020, the BCUC submitted BCUC Information Request (IR) No. 1 to ACI and PSPIB and on February 7, 2020, BCOAPO submitted its IR No. 1 to ACI and PSPIB;

K.      On February 21, 2020, ACI and PSPIB submitted their responses to BCUC and BCOAPO IR No. 1; and

L.       The BCUC has reviewed the ACI and PSPIB’s responses to BCUC and BCOAPO IR No. 1 and determines that an amendment to the Regulatory Timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders the Regulatory Timetable is amended as set out in Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                3rd               day of March 2020.

BY ORDER

Original Signed By:

W. M. Everett, QC

Commissioner

Attachment

AltaGas Canada Inc. and PSPIB Cycle Investments Inc.

Application to Acquire a Reviewable Interest in Each of

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. And Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd.