Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-92-21

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Review of the Performance Based Regulation Report

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Panel Chair

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

R. I. Mason, Commissioner

on March 23, 2021

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On February 25, 2019, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed its Fiscal 2020 to Fiscal 2021 (F2020-F2021) Revenue Requirements Application (RRA) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC);

B.      Directive 28 of the BCUC’s decision on the F2017-F2019 RRA directed BC Hydro to provide a report to the BCUC that discusses, among other things, the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of Performance Based Regulation (PBR) at BC Hydro and a possible approach to adopting PBR (PBR Report);

C.      BC Hydro provided the PBR Report as part of its F2020-F2021 RRA along with two expert reports regarding the matter as Appendices FF and GG to the F2020-F2021 RRA;

D.      On October 11, 2019, by Order G-244-19, the BCUC directed that the PBR Report will not be reviewed as part of the review of the F2020-F2021 RRA and by Order G-245-19, dated October 11, 2019, the BCUC established a proceeding for the review of the PBR Report and related materials;

E.       The BCUC established and amended the regulatory timetable for the review of the PBR Report and related materials in Orders G-246-19, G-326-19, G-70-20, G-251-20, and G-324-20, which included, among other things, submissions on further process;

F.       Written submissions were received from BC Hydro, British Columbia Old Age Pensioner’s Organization et al., Clean Energy Association of BC (CEABC), Commercial Energy Consumers Association of BC, the Residential Consumer Intervenor, BC Sustainable Energy Association, Zone II Ratepayers Group (Zone II RPG), Association of Major Power Customers of BC (AMPC), and Movement of United Professionals;

G.      By letter dated March 1, 2021, the BCUC requested parties to make submissions on hypothetical outcomes and how they might affect the timing of future BC Hydro rate applications, including the proposed 3-year Revenue Requirements Application (RRA) BC Hydro expects to file in August 2021;

H.      Oral submissions were held on March 22, 2021, and written submissions were also received on March 19, 2021 from CEABC, Zone II RPG and AMPC;

I.         CEABC submitted that the BCUC should direct a two year test period for the August 2021 RRA filing; and

J.        The BCUC has reviewed the written and oral submissions and finds that establishing the remainder of the regulatory timetable is warranted. Any change to the test period that is requested in the August 2021 RRA filing is a matter that should be addressed in that proceeding.

NOW THEREFORE, the BCUC establishes the remainder of the timetable as follows.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this              23^rd                day of March 2021.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. M. Morton

Commissioner