Orders

 

ORDER NUMBER

R-15-21

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Mandatory Reliability Standard Planning Coordinator Assessment Report

 

BEFORE:

A. K. Fung, QC, Panel Chair

C. Brewer, Commissioner

W. M. Everett, QC, Commissioner

 

on July 14, 2021

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On May 31, 2021, pursuant to section 125.2(3) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) submitted to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) a Mandatory Reliability Standards (MRS) planning coordinator assessment report (PC Assessment Report) assessing 12 reliability standards and one retired reliability standard. All the reliability standards assessed in the PC Assessment Report are related to the Planning Coordinator (PC) function and are currently held in abeyance in British Columbia (BC). In the PC Assessment Report, BC Hydro also assessed four defined terms in the North American Electric Reliability Corporation Glossary of Terms dated October 8, 2020 (NERC Glossary) that are currently held in abeyance in BC. BC Hydro also proposed filing its implementation plan for the PC function by June 25, 2021;

B.      By BCUC Orders R-41-13, R-32-14, R-38-15, R-32-16, R-39-17, R-33-18 and R-19-20, reliability standards applicable to the PC function were held in abeyance and had no force or effect in BC;

C.      Subsection 3(1)(a) of the MRS Regulation requires BC Hydro to report on a reliability standard, in accordance with section 125.2(3) of the UCA, within one year of the date the reliability standard is adopted by the regulatory body with jurisdiction over the standard-making body that established the reliability standard, namely, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC);

D.      On May 26, 2021, by Order R-6-21, the BCUC accepted BC Hydro’s extension request to file the PC Assessment Report from May 1, 2021 to May 31, 2021 because four reliability standards, which are dependent on and/or require actions solely by the PC function, were approved by FERC with an effective order within the period between, and including, December 1, 2019 and November 30, 2020 (Assessment Period);

E.       On June 25, 2021, BC Hydro filed its proposed implementation approach and anticipated timing for registering as the PC and engaging other entities interconnected (Interconnected Entities) to the BC Hydro system (Implementation Approach); and

F.       Pursuant to section 125.2(5) of the UCA, if the BCUC receives a report under section 125.2(3) of the UCA, the BCUC must make the report available to the public in a reasonable manner, and for a reasonable period of time and consider any comments in response to the report.

 

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to 125.2 of the UCA, the BCUC orders as follows:

 

1.       A written comment process is established for the review of the PC Assessment Report in accordance with the regulatory timetable set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       Within five business days of the date of this order, BC Hydro is directed to have the PC Assessment Report and Implementation Approach available on its external website and notify the following parties of the review process by providing them with a copy of this order, the Implementation Approach and/or the link on the BCUC’s website:

a.       All Entities registered in the British Columbia Mandatory Reliability Standards Program; and

b.       Interconnected Entities mentioned in phase two of the Implementation Approach, including potential stakeholders.

3.       Interveners who wish to participate in the regulatory proceeding are to register with the BCUC by completing a Request to Intervene Form, available on the BCUC’s website at:
https://www.bcuc.com/get-involved/get-involved-proceeding.html  by the date established in the regulatory timetable, and in accordance with the BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure attached to Order G-15-19.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                   14^th                day of July 2021.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

A. K. Fung, QC

Commissioner

 

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Mandatory Reliability Standard Planning Coordinator Assessment Report