Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-105-20

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 May 4, 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, G-13-20, and G-52-20 the BCUC established a written hearing process and regulatory timetable to review the Application. The timetable included intervener registration, two rounds of BCUC and intervener information requests (IRs), intervener evidence submissions, IRs on intervener evidence, and FEI rebuttal evidence;

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

F.       By April 16, 2020, the BCUC received responses to information requests on intervener evidence submissions from CBER and Downie Timber Ltd.;

G.     On April 30, 2020, FEI’s filed its rebuttal evidence (FEI Rebuttal Evidence) in response to the intervener evidence of CBER; and

H.      The BCUC has reviewed FEI’s Rebuttal Evidence, and all submissions to-date and considers that a further regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the British Columbia Utilities Commission orders that a further regulatory timetable is established, as set out in Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this    4^th   day of May 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

T. A. Loski

Commissioner

Attachment

Fortis BC Energy (FEI)

Revelstoke Propane Portfolio Cost Amalgamation Application