Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-106-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

COVID-19 Deferral Account Application

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Panel Chair

A. K. Fung, QC Commissioner

R. I. Mason, Commissioner

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

on May 4, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On April 9, 2020, Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG-West) and Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd. (PNG(NE)) (collectively, PNG) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for approval to establish a new interest bearing deferral account, the COVID-19 Deferral Account, for each of PNG-West and PNG(NE) (Application). The Application is made pursuant to sections 59 to 61 and 91 of the Utilities Commission Act;

B.      PNG proposes to include the following in the COVID-19 Deferral Account: (1) any bad debt resulting from customers in any rate class who do not pay their bills due to the impacts of COVID-19 on their financial circumstances; and (2) any unplanned expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic that PNG has incurred related to continuing operations;

C.      PNG is also implementing a bill payment deferral program that will allow for up to a three month deferral of energy bill payments for residential customers served under Rate Schedule (RS) 1 and small commercial customers served under either RS 2 (Small Commercial) or RS 22 (Small Commercial Transportation) that are unable to pay their energy bills due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic;

D.      On April 14, 2020, the BCUC issued information requests to PNG regarding the Application and PNG filed its responses on April 16, 2020. On April 17, 2020, the BCUC held a web-based oral hearing regarding the Application;

E.       By Orders G-88-20 and G-89-20 dated April 17, 2020, the BCUC granted interim approval for PNG and established a public hearing process, which included Intervener registration. British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA) and British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ et al. (BCOAPO) registered as interveners; and

F.       The BCUC considers that establishing a further regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC establishes a regulatory timetable for the review of the Application, as set out in Appendix A to this order.

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

BY ORDER

Original Signed By:

D. M. Morton

Commissioner

Attachment

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

COVID-19 Deferral Account Application