ORDER NUMBER
G-131-21
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Transmission Service Rate F2022 and F2023 Pricing Principles
Extension Application
BEFORE:
B. A. Magnan, Commissioner
on April 30, 2021
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On March 2, 2021, pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) an application seeking approval for a two-year extension to March 31, 2023 of the Transmission Service Rate (TSR) pricing principles for Rate Schedule (RS) 1823, whereby rate increases as determined in BC Hydro’s Fiscal 2022 to Fiscal 2023 Revenue Requirements Application (F2022-F2023 RRA) would be applied uniformly to both energy rate components of the RS 1823 Energy Charge B rate (Tier 1 and Tier 2) (altogether the Application);
B. By Order G-5-17 with accompanying decision to the BC Hydro 2015 Rate Design Application (2015 RDA), dated January 20, 2017, the BCUC approved the current TSR pricing principles whereby general rate increases effective April 1, 2018 would be applied uniformly to Tier 1 and Tier 2 rates for RS 1823 Energy Charge B;
C. On April 30, 2019, by Order G-93-19, the BCUC approved an extension of the current TSR pricing principles to March 31, 2021;
D. On January 5, 2021, by Order G-1-21, the BCUC approved BC Hydro’s F2022 RRA rate increase on an interim basis, effective April 1, 2021;
E. On February 9, 2021, BC Hydro hosted a virtual TSR design workshop and sought feedback from stakeholders on whether they agreed with BC Hydro’s proposal of a one-year extension of TSR pricing principles as applied to RS 1823 in F2022;
F. On March 25, 2021, by Order G-96-21A the BCUC approved a 1.16 percent rate increase to RS 1823 on an interim, refundable and recoverable basis effective April 1, 2021, and established a regulatory timetable allowing letters of comment from TSR customers;
G. Letters of comment from BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA), Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC), and Association of Major Power Customers BC (AMPC) were submitted to the BCUC by the April 20, 2021 deadline. All three letters of comment were in support of the Application;
H. On April 27, 2020, BC Hydro submitted its response to the letters of comment acknowledging the letters received were in support if the Application; and
I. The BCUC has reviewed the Application, including associated fillings, and considers that extending the current TSR pricing principles for RS 1823 for F2022 and F2023 is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the UCA, the BCUC orders that BC Hydro is approved to extend the current pricing principles for RS 1823 until March 31, 2023, or until a new rate structure for RS 1823 customers is approved by the BCUC.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 30th day of April 2021.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
B. A. Magnan
Commissioner