Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-247-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Creative Energy Mount Pleasant Limited Partnership

Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to Acquire, Operate

and Expand a Thermal Energy System for Cooling in the Main Alley Development

BEFORE:

R. I. Mason, Panel Chair

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

on October 2, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On March 10, 2020, Creative Energy Mount Pleasant Limited Partnership (CEMP) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to acquire and operate the existing Mount Pleasant district cooling system (Mount Pleasant DCS), and to expand and operate the Mount Pleasant DCS to provide cooling to the Main Alley Development in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood of Vancouver (Application).

B.      CEMP’s Application includes the following components:

•         Acquisition and operation of the existing Mount Pleasant DCS to serve the following buildings:

o   Building M1 located at 2015 Main Street, Vancouver; and

o   Building M3 located at 111 East 5^th Avenue, Vancouver.

•         Extension and operation of the Mount Pleasant DCS to serve the following buildings:

o   Building M2 located at 114 East 4^th Avenue, Vancouver by 2021;

o   Building M4 located at 110 East 5^th Avenue, Vancouver by 2023; and

o   Building M5 located at 2015 Main Street, Vancouver by 2029.

•         Renovation, expansion and upgrade of the cooling plant located in Building M3 in 2027.

C.      Specifically, CEMP’s Application requests approval of the following:

         i.            A CPCN, pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the UCA to acquire and operate the existing Mount Pleasant DCS assets at a cost of $419,222, and to expand and operate the Mount Pleasant DCS to provide cooling to the Main Alley Development at an estimated capital cost of $9,134,241, resulting in a total estimated cost of $9,553,463;

       ii.            The Customer Service Agreement (Non-M3 Lands), pursuant to sections 58 to 60 of the UCA; and

      iii.            The Customer Service Agreement (M3 Lands), pursuant to sections 58 to 60 of the UCA.

D.      Creative Energy Vancouver Platforms Inc., a regulated public utility, is to provide expert services to CEMP for ownership, operation and regulation of the Mount Pleasant DCS;

E.       By Order G-73-20, dated March 31, 2020, the BCUC established a public hearing process and regulatory timetable for review of the Application, which consisted of public notice, intervener registration, BCUC and intervener information requests (IRs) and CEMP responses to IRs;

F.       CEMP filed responses to BCUC and intervener IRs No. 1 on May 27, 2020;

G.     By Order G-149-20, dated June 10, 2020, the BCUC established a further regulatory timetable, which comprised of a second round of BCUC and intervener IRs, CEMP responses and further process to be determined;

H.      CEMP filed responses to BCUC and intervener IRs No. 2 on July 16, 2020;

I.        By letter dated August 10, 2020, the BCUC issued Panel IR No. 1 to CEMP and CEMP filed its responses on August 24, 2020;

J.        By Order G-234-20, dated September 14, 2020 the BCUC established a further regulatory timetable, which comprised of a Streamlined Review Process (SRP) and a submission from CEMP on specified scope item prior to the SRP;

K.      CEMP filed its submission on the specified scope item on September 25, 2020, and a web-based SRP was held on October 2, 2020; and

L.       The Panel has reviewed the evidence and considers the establishment of a further regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders the regulatory timetable, as set out in Appendix A to this order, is established.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this          2^nd            day of October 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

R. I. Mason

Commissioner

Attachment

Creative Energy Mount Pleasant Limited Partnership

Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to Acquire, Operate

and Expand a Thermal Energy System for Cooling in the Main Alley Development