Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-115-20A

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

Kyuquot Power Ltd.

Investigation into the Safety and Reliability of the KPL System

 

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Commissioner

C. Brewer, Commissioner

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

 

 

on May 15, 2020

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      By email dated February 13, 2020, a representative of the Ka:yu:'k't'h' / Che:k'tles7et'h' First Nations (KCFN) filed a complaint with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) concerning, amongst other things, a safety matter regarding Kyuquot Power Ltd. (KPL) (Complaint);

B.      The KPL power distribution system (KPL System) is interconnected to the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) electric system and supplies customers, including the KCFN, the Village of Houpsitas and others on the outer coast of Kyuquot Sound, with electricity;  

C.      In the Complaint, the representative stated concerns regarding the reliability, service and maintenance of the KPL System;

D.      On February 14, 2020, the BCUC contacted KPL regarding the Complaint and subsequently requested KPL to provide a written response to the Complaint;

E.       On February 21, 2020, KPL responded, indicating that all but one item that had been identified in the Complaint had been corrected. KPL submitted that the single remaining item would be corrected within 30 days as permitted by Technical Safety British Columbia;

F.       On March 8, 10, 11, and 12, 2020, the KCFN representative contacted the BCUC regarding ongoing power outages of the KPL System;

G.     On March 15, 2020, the BCUC issued Order G-50-20, which among other things directed KPL to provide the BCUC with daily updates starting from March 16, 2020, for the following 15 days on the status of the KPL System, including its operational status, work performed, and work planned for the KPL system;

H.      On March 17 and 26, 2020, KPL submitted letters to the BCUC requesting an extension to the filing of compliance directives pursuant to Order G-50-20 to March 30, 2020 because of resource availability following the COVID-19 pandemic. The BCUC granted KPL the extension requests;

I.        On March 30, 2020, KPL submitted all of the compliance directives in accordance with Order G-50-20;

J.        In accordance with the BCUC’s Complaint Guidelines, on April 28, 2020, KCFN made submissions in response to KPL’s compliance directives; and

K.      The BCUC has reviewed the information and submissions provided by the parties to date and considers that a hearing to further investigate the safety and reliability of the KPL System is warranted.   

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 83 of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:

 

1.       A hearing to review the safety and reliability of the KPL System is hereby established in accordance with the regulatory timetable attached as Appendix A to this order.

2.       Parties who wish to actively participate in the proceeding are to register with the BCUC by completing a Request to Intervene Form, available on the BCUC’s website under Get Involved, by the date established in the regulatory timetable and in accordance with the BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure attached to Order G-5-19;

3.       KPL must provide a copy of this order to its customers by June 1, 2020, electronically where possible;

4.       KPL customers and stakeholders are invited to submit letters of comment relating to KPL’s service or safety issues. Letters of comment must be received by the BCUC by the deadline date included in the proceeding’s regulatory timetable, unless the BCUC directs otherwise. Letters of comment that are received late will not be considered by the BCUC in the proceeding. Letters of comment must be in the Letter of Comment Form available on the BCUC’s website at https://www.bcuc.com/forms/letter-of-comment.aspx , and submitted by email to commission.secretary@bcuc.com or by mail to the British Columbia Utilities Commission, Suite 410, 900 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2N3.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                  20^th                       day of May 2020.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

D. M. Morton

Commissioner

 

 

 

 

Kyuquot Power Ltd.

Investigation into the Safety and Reliability of the KPL System