ORDER NUMBER
G-330-20
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Energy Inc.
Housekeeping Amendments to the RS 36 Tariff and Rates
Effective April 1, 2017, April 1, 2018, April 1, 2019 and April 1, 2020
BEFORE:
B. A. Magnan, Commissioner
on December 14, 2020
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On September 16, 2020, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) amendments to its Rate Schedule 36 (RS 36) Tariff and Rates effective April 1, 2017, April 1, 2018, April 1, 2019 and April 1, 2020 (Application);
B. The BCUC approved cost allocation and cost recovery models for FEI’s Customer Choice Program by Decision and Order A-9-16, dated October 18, 2016, and Decision and Order A-1-17, dated February 20, 2017, (collectively, the Cost Recovery Decisions);
C. The Cost Recovery Decisions approved an annual fee adjustment mechanism and process to update gas marketer fees whereby the fee adjustments proposed in FEI’s Annual Customer Choice Program Statistics filing take effect automatically on April 1 each year unless a party raises the issue for discussion and the BCUC determines a review is warranted, either during the Customer Choice Program Annual General Meeting (AGM) or by a dedicated proceeding, as determined by the BCUC;
D. On February 28, 2017, February 28, 2018, February 22, 2019 and February 27, 2020, FEI filed its Annual Customer Choice Program Statistics with the BCUC and stakeholders for calendar years 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 respectively, which included proposed fee adjustments according to the Cost Recovery Decisions fee adjustment mechanism. Each year, the BCUC subsequently canvassed stakeholders about issues to be addressed, if any, at the Customer Choice AGM;
E. By Orders A-2-17, A-1-18, A-1-19 and A-1-20, the BCUC determined that a Customer Choice Program AGM was not warranted for each respective calendar year;
F. In the Application, FEI proposes to amend the Table of Charges on page R-36.34 of the RS 36 Tariff to reflect the correct fees that were charged to gas marketers effective April 1 for years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. FEI states that all fees charged to gas marketers are in accordance with the Cost Recovery Decisions, however, FEI states that it inadvertently neglected to update the RS 36 tariff pages;
G. The Application also includes amendments to the RS 36 terms and conditions, which FEI states are housekeeping in nature. The amendments are described in Table 1 of the Application and include amendments to reflect the Cost Recovery Decisions (2016/2017 RS 36 Tariff Housekeeping Amendments) as well as new amendments (New RS 36 Tariff Housekeeping Amendments);
H. By Order G-281-20 dated November 3, 2020, the BCUC established a public written comment process and a regulatory timetable for the review of the Application. No letters of comment were received by the BCUC by the November 26, 2020 deadline;
I. In its submission dated December 3, 2020, FEI confirmed no letters of comment had been received; and
J. The BCUC has reviewed FEI’s Application and determines the following is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders:
1. The second revision, third revision, fourth revision and fifth revision of FEI’s RS 36 Tariff Table of Charges page R-36.34 are each accepted effective April 1, 2017, April 1, 2018, April 1, 2019 and April 1, 2020, respectively.
2. FEI’s 2016/2017 RS 36 Tariff Housekeeping Amendments are accepted effective April 1, 2017.
3. FEI’s New RS 36 Tariff Housekeeping Amendments are approved effective the date of this order.
4. FEI is to file updated RS 36 Tariff pages for endorsement by the BCUC within 30 days of the date of this order.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 14th day of December 2020.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
B. A. Magnan
Commissioner