Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-239-21

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

Hemlock Utility Services Ltd.

Investigation into the Safety and Reliability of Hemlock Utility Services

 

BEFORE:

C. Brewer, Panel Chair

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

 

 

on August 10, 2021

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On December 14, 2020, Hemlock Utility Services Ltd. (Hemlock) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) an application to revise Section 19 (Liability of the Company re: Service) of its Electric Tariff Terms and Conditions. Hemlock proposed to include further liability provisions with respect to its supply of electricity to customers (Application);

B.      By Order G-153-21 dated May 21, 2021, the BCUC approved, among other things, Hemlock’s Application to include further liability provisions with respect to its supply of electricity to its customers;

C.      In the accompanying Reasons for Decision to Order G-153-21, the Panel identified a number of operational concerns including, but not limited to, issues related to the safety and reliability of the Hemlock system. The Panel recommended that the BCUC initiate a separate proceeding to conduct a fulsome review of the safety and reliability of Hemlock’s electrical distribution system;

D.      By Order G-201-21, dated June 30, 2021, the BCUC ordered a hearing to review the safety and reliability of Hemlock’s electrical distribution system and system assets and customer service-related issues and established a regulatory timetable for the investigation (Proceeding);

E.       By July 9, 2021, Hemlock published notice of Order G-201-21 on its website and all its available social media platforms;

F.        In accordance with that regulatory timetable, Hemlock was required to provide public notice, as attached as Appendix C to Order G-201-21, and a copy of Order G-201-21 and regulatory timetable to all of its utility customers, the Hemlock Valley Homeowners Association, and all band offices for First Nations communities located fully or partially within Hemlock’s service area, by July 16, 2021;

G.      On July 30, 2021, Hemlock provided its written response to BCUC scoping questions, as attached as Appendix B to Order G-201-21;

H.      By August 4, 2021, the BCUC had received eleven Letters of Comment;

I.         On August 4, 2021, the Residential Consumer Intervener Association registered as an intervener in the Proceeding; and

J.        The BCUC considers that in light of the importance of the issues raised in this Proceeding, an amendment to the regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 82 of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:

 

1.       The regulatory timetable is amended as set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       Hemlock must provide public notice, attached as Appendix B to this order, and a copy of this order and amended regulatory timetable, to its utility customers as an enclosure to their next billing statements by the established date in the regulatory timetable.

3.       Hemlock must provide notice of this order in a clearly visible location on the homepage of its website by Tuesday, August 17, 2021.

4.       Members of the public are invited to provide letters of comment for the BCUC’s consideration. Letters of comment must be in the Letter of Comment Form and be submitted on the BCUC’s website or submitted by email to commission.secretary@bcuc.com, or by mail, courier or personal delivery to the BCUC, Suite 410, 900 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2N3 by the date established in the amended regulatory timetable.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                 10^th             day of August 2021.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

C. Brewer

Commissioner

 

 

Attachments

 

 

Hemlock Utility Services Ltd.

Investigation into the Safety and Reliability of Hemlock Utility Services

 

 

 

INVESTIGATION INTO THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF HEMLOCK UTILITY SERVICES

 

The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) is conducting a hearing to fully assess the safety and reliability of Hemlock Utility Services Ltd.’s (Hemlock) electrical distribution system and system assets, as well as its customer service-related issues.

 

This hearing is the result of an application Hemlock filed with the BCUC on December 14, 2020, where it requested approval to revise Section 19 (Liability of the Company re: Service) of its Electric Tariff Terms and Conditions (2020 Application). In the 2020 Application, Hemlock sought approval to include additional liability provisions relating to its supply of electricity to customers.

 

By Order G-153-21 and the accompanying Reasons for Decision, the BCUC approved, among other things, the proposed additions to the liability provisions of Hemlock’s Electric Tariff. Further, the BCUC recommended that it initiate a separate proceeding to investigate the operational concerns identified through the initial review of the 2020 Application.

 

For more information on getting involved, please visit our website (www.bcuc.com/get-involved) or contact us at the information below.

GET MORE INFORMATION
Hemlock Utility Services Ltd. #200 – 8399 200 Street Langley, BC  V2Y 3C2   E: aroy@berezan.ca   P: 604-882-0808	British Columbia Utilities Commission Suite 410, 900 Howe Street Vancouver, BC Canada  V6Z 2N3   E: Commission.Secretary@bcuc.com   P: 604.660.4700