Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-351-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Canadian Forest Products Ltd. – Chetwynd Division Tariff Supplement No. 100

BEFORE:

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

on December 29, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On November 16, 2020, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) seeking approval of a transition tariff agreement (Transition Tariff Agreement) with Canadian Forest Products Ltd. – Chetwynd Division (Canfor) as Tariff Supplement No. 100 (TS 100), pursuant to sections 58 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act (Application);

B.      On May 16, 2000, the BCUC approved a special tariff agreement between BC Hydro and Canfor in the form of TS 53 pursuant to Order G-51-00. TS 53 allowed Canfor to take service under Rate Schedule (RS) 1821 (now RS 1823) while being served at distribution voltage from BC Hydro’s Chetwynd substation (CWD). TS 53 had a term of 20-years, commencing on August 1, 2000;

C.      Prior to the expiry of TS 53, BC Hydro and Canfor entered into discussions regarding the Transition Tariff Agreement which is intended to mitigate bill impacts and recover incremental costs associated with serving Canfor prior to Canfor moving to BC Hydro’s Large General Service (RS 1611);

D.      To allow the parties more time for settling the terms of the Transition Tariff Agreement, the BCUC issued Order G-174-20, approving a six-month extension of TS 53, expiring January 31, 2021;

E.       In the Application, BC Hydro submits that approval of TS 100 would allow Canfor to continue to be billed under the transmission service rate per RS 1823, while receiving service at distribution voltage of 25 kV from CWD. TS 100 includes a monthly rate rider charge and additional conditions to recover the incremental costs associated with providing service to Canfor at distribution voltage which are not recovered in the transmission service rate;

F.       TS 100 does not allow for subsequent renewal at the end of the 10-year term and after that time Canfor will transition to the otherwise applicable rate schedule;

G.      By Order G-334-20, dated December 16, 2020, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable for review of the Application, which included, among other things, notice of the Application and Order to BC Hydro’s Large General Service Rate (LGS) Customers;

H.      On December 24, 2020, BC Hydro filed a request with the BCUC to extend the deadline notice of the Application and Order as a share of its LGS Customers must be notified by mail; and

I.         The BCUC considers an amendment of the regulatory timetable and interim extension of TS 53 are warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       A further regulatory timetable is established as set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       BC Hydro’s request to extend TS 53 is approved on an interim, collectible and refundable basis, for the lesser of 60 days from the date of this order or until further order of the BCUC.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this              29^th          day of December 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

E. B. Lockhart

Commissioner

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority