Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-27-21

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

Pacific BioEnergy Prince George Limited Partnership

Application for Exemption Under

Section 88 of the Utilities Commission Act

 

BEFORE:

A. K. Fung, QC, Panel Chair

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

 

on January 27, 2021

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On December 15, 2020, pursuant to section 88(3) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), Pacific BioEnergy Prince George Limited Partnership (PBLP) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) seeking approval for exemption from section 71 and Part 3 of the UCA, with respect to PBLP’s resale of electricity, supplied by British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) to the NOS Substation located at 8546 Willow Cale Road in Prince George, British Columbia (NOS Substation), to purchasers whose facilities are connected to the NOS Substation (Application);

B.      On August 27, 2015, by Order G-141-15, the BCUC, with advance approval from the Lieutenant Governor in Council, ordered that Canfor Forest Products Ltd. (Canfor) was exempt from the requirements of Part 3 of the UCA except for sections 25, 38, 42, and 43 for its NOS Substation distribution facilities used to supply electric service to its customers. The order also exempted both Canfor and any person that receives energy from Canfor’s NOS Substation distribution, from section 71 of the UCA provided the person is not re-selling energy to others;

C.      In the Application, PBLP states that the NOS Substation is currently owned by Canfor and Canfor and PBLP have entered into a Purchase Agreement, dated November 24, 2020, with respect to the purchase and sale of, among other things, the NOS Substation;

D.      PBLP states that PBLP and three other parties with industrial facilities in the vicinity of the NOS Substation receive electricity service via the NOS Substation and distribution lines, and PBLP will continue to provide such service upon completion of the purchase of the NOS Substation;

E.       In accordance with section 1 of the UCA, PBLP will fall within the definition of “public utility” by reselling energy to others; and

F.       The BCUC has determined that the establishment of a written comment process is warranted for the review of the Application.

 

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

 

1.       A public written comment process is established in accordance with the regulatory timetable as set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       PBLP is directed, as soon as reasonably possible but no later than Friday, February 5, 2021, to provide notice of the Application and a copy of this order, electronically where possible, to all impacted and potentially impacted parties, including BC Hydro, Canfor and all customers receiving service from the NOS Substation.

3.       Parties wishing to provide comments on the Application are invited to submit letters of comment, by the date established in the regulatory timetable. Letters of comment must be in the Letter of Comment Form available on the BCUC’s website at: http://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     27^th    day of January 2021.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

A. K. Fung, QC

Commissioner

 

 

Attachment

 

 

Pacific BioEnergy Prince George Limited Partnership

Application for Exemption Under

Section 88 of the Utilities Commission Act