Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-52-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI)

Revelstoke Propane Portfolio Cost Amalgamation Application

BEFORE:

T. A. Loski, Panel Chair

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

R. D. Revel, Commissioner

on March 16, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On July 18, 2019, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for approval to amalgamate the Revelstoke propane supply costs with the FEI midstream natural gas supply resource costs in the Midstream Cost Reconciliation Account (MCRA) and to implement a revised propane gas cost rate setting mechanism, pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) effective January 1, 2020 (Application);

B.      The Application also seeks approval of minor amendments to FEI’s Rate Schedules (RS) 1 to 7 regarding references to Revelstoke in rate rider 1 and rate rider 6 where applicable;

C.      In the Application, FEI states that the proposed rate setting mechanism will provide Revelstoke customers with propane rate stability that matches the stability of FEI’s natural gas customer rates and can provide propane commodity rate relief to Revelstoke customers;

D.      By Orders G-201-19, G-290-19 and G-13-20, the BCUC established a written hearing process and regulatory timetable to review the Application;

E.       By February 18, 2020, the BCUC received intervenor evidence submissions from Canadian Biomass Energy Research Ltd. (CBER) and Downie Timber Ltd.;

F.       By March 5, 2020, information requests on intervenor evidence were issued by British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al., Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia, FEI and the BCUC;

G.     On March 12, 2020, CBER filed a letter with the BCUC requesting an extension to the deadline to file responses to information requests on intervenor evidence from March 26, 2020, as established by Order
G-13-20, to April 16, 2020;

H.      The BCUC has reviewed the March 12, 2020 extension request from CBER and all submissions to-date and considers that an amended regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the British Columbia Utilities Commission orders the following:

1.       The deadline for filing responses to information requests on intervener evidence is extended to April 16, 2020, to allow Canadian Biomass Energy Research Ltd. sufficient time to prepare responses.

2.       The regulatory timetable is amended as attached as Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this    16^th    day of March 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

T. A. Loski

Commissioner

Attachment

Fortis BC Energy (FEI)

Revelstoke Propane Portfolio Cost Amalgamation Application