ORDER NUMBER
E-29-20
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Inc.
Application for Acceptance of Energy Supply Contracts
for Q1 2022 and Q4 2022
BEFORE:
B. A. Magnan, Panel Chair
C. Brewer, Commissioner
T. A. Loski, Commissioner
R. I. Mason, Commissioner
On December 18, 2020
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On November 30, 2020, pursuant to section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), FortisBC Inc. (FBC) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) two energy supply contracts (Agreements) between FBC and Powerex Corporation (Powerex) for the purchase of wholesale market energy in the first quarter of 2022 and the fourth quarter of 2022 (Filing);
B. By Order G-61-12 dated May 17, 2012, the BCUC approved Rules for Energy Supply Contracts for Electricity (Rules). The Rules facilitate the BCUC’s review of energy supply contracts for electricity, and proposed energy supply contracts for electricity under section 71 of the UCA;
C. By Order E-10-15 dated April 27, 2015, the BCUC accepted the Capacity and Energy Purchase and Sale Agreement (CEPSA) between FBC and Powerex. The CEPSA is a master agreement that sets out the terms and conditions for future market transactions, regarding capacity and energy, entered into between FBC and Powerex;
D. By Order G-117-18 dated June 28, 2018, the BCUC accepted FBC’s 2016 Long Term Electric Resource Plan (2016 LTERP) up to and including 2024. In the order, the BCUC also directed that the next LTERP should be developed and filed no later than December 1, 2021;
E. By Letter L-28-20 dated May 19, 2020, the BCUC accepted for filing FBC’s Annual Electric Contracting Plan for the period from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021 (2020/21 AECP), subject to an updated demand forecast;
F. On June 25, 2020, FBC submitted an updated demand forecast, as set out in Letter L-28-20;
G. In the Filing, the Agreements for the purchase of wholesale market energy in the first quarter of 2022 and the fourth quarter of 2022 were made pursuant to the CEPSA;
H. FBC requests that the information in the Filing and the Agreements be kept confidential due to their commercially sensitive nature. FBC provided notice of its Filing and a redacted version of the Agreements to interveners to the Fortis Energy Inc. and FBC Multi-Year Rate Plan Application for 2020-2024; and
I. The BCUC has reviewed the Filing and is satisfied that the Agreements are in the public interest and consistent with FBC’s 2020/21 AECP and updated demand forecast, as well as FBC’s 2016 LTERP up to and including 2024.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 71 of the UCA:
1. The BCUC accepts the energy supply contracts executed between FBC and Powerex as filed.
2. The BCUC will keep the Filing and the Agreements confidential due to their commercially sensitive nature.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 18th day of December 2020.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
B. A. Magnan
Commissioner