Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-276-21

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. M. Brewer, Panel Chair

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

on September 21, 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.      On August 4, 2021, the Residential Consumer Intervener Association (RCIA) registered as an intervener in the Proceeding;

I.         On August 10, 2021, by Order G-239-21, the BCUC amended the regulatory timetable and directed Hemlock to provide public notice of the 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;

J.        On August 24, 2021, the BCUC issued Information Request (IR) No. 1 to Hemlock, and on September 2, 2021, RCIA submitted IR No. 1 to Hemlock;

K.       On September 15, 2021, Hemlock submitted a request to file its responses to BCUC and intervener IRs from September 16, 2021 to September 30, 2021 (Extension Request); and

L.       The BCUC has reviewed the Extension Request and considers an amendment to the regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders the regulatory timetable established by Order G-239-21 is amended as set out in Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this               21^st        day of September 2021.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

C. M. Brewer

Commissioner

Attachment

Hemlock Utility Services Ltd.

Investigation into the Safety and Reliability of Hemlock Utility Services