Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-26-21

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

for the Salvus to Galloway Upgrade Project

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

BEFORE:

T. A. Loski, Panel Chair

M. Kresivo, Q.C., Commissioner

on September 9, 2021

WHEREAS:

A.      On October 9, 2020, Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) submitted an application to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), seeking approval of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the Salvus to Galloway Upgrade Project (Application);

B.      By Orders G-288-20, G-23-21, the BCUC established a public hearing process for the review of the Application consisting of public notice, intervener registration, two rounds of BCUC and intervener Information Requests (IRs) to PNG, and arguments. By Order G-152-21, the BCUC issued a further regulatory timetable to review the adequacy of consultation with Lax Kw’alaams Band consisting of intervener registration, submission of intervener and rebuttal evidence, and arguments. By Letter dated June 18, 2021, the BCUC rescinded the remaining regulatory timetable as outlined in Order G-152-21 and closed the evidentiary record;

C.      Two interveners registered in the proceeding: British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. and Lax Kw’alaams Band;

D.      On July 8, 2021, by Order C-4-21 with decision issued concurrently, the BCUC issued its final determinations on the Application;

E.       The following participants filed Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) applications with the BCUC with respect to their participation in the proceeding:

F.       By emails dated September 1, 2021, PNG provided its comments on the PACA applications, stating that it finds the Lax Kw’alaams and BCOAPO PACA requests to participate in the proceeding to be reasonable. PNG further states it appreciates the challenges experienced by BCOAPO of having to bring on new consulting resources during the proceeding;

G.      The BCUC has reviewed the PACA applications in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines, attached to Order G-97-17, and considers that the cost awards to BCOAPO and Lax Kw’alaams in the full amounts they respectively claim for their respective participation in this proceeding, are warranted.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 118(1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       Funding is awarded to the following interveners in the listed amounts for their participation in the PNG Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Salvus to Galloway Upgrade Project proceeding:

2.       PNG is directed to reimburse the above-noted participants for the awarded amount in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this     9^th      day of September 2021.

BY ORDER

T. A. Loski

Commissioner