Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-280-21

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Utilities Commission

An Inquiry into the Regulation of Municipal Energy Utilities

BEFORE:

T. A. Loski, Panel Chair

C. M. Brewer, Commissioner

W. M. Everett, QC, Commissioner

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

on September 24, 2021

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      By Order G-177-19 dated August 1, 2019, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) established an inquiry to examine the regulation of energy utilities affiliated with municipalities and regional districts in British Columbia (Inquiry) and established a regulatory timetable;

B.      On Thursday, October 24, 2019, intervener written submissions and letters of comment were received by the BCUC, addressing whether a utility affiliated, in some way, with a municipality or regional district is considered a public utility as defined by section 1 of the UCA;

C.      By Order G-316-19 dated December 5, 2019, and as amended by Order G-14-20 dated January 28, 2020, the BCUC amended the regulatory timetable, which included one round of information requests;

D.      By Order G-56-20, dated 17 March 2020, the BCUC adjourned the inquiry in recognition of the COVID-19 pandemic and suspended the regulatory timetable as set out in Order G-14-20 until further notice. Following a request for submissions and by letters dated July 16, 2020 and February 5, 2021, the BCUC confirmed the adjournment would continue until the lifting of the state of emergency in BC. The BC state of emergency relating to the COVID-19 pandemic was lifted on June 30, 2021;

E.       By Order G-241-21, dated August 11, 2021, the BCUC resumed the Inquiry and established a further regulatory timetable;

F.       By Letter dated September 9, 2021, the City of Richmond applied for, amongst other things, the disqualification of the Chair of the Panel for the Inquiry, Commissioner T. Loski (Application); and

G.      The BCUC considers that the following determinations are warranted.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 82 of the UCA, the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       The regulatory timetable, as set out in Order G-241-21, is adjourned pending the hearing of the Application.

2.       An updated regulatory timetable is established, attached as Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this    24^th    day of September 2021.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

T. A. Loski

Commissioner

Attachment

British Columbia Utilities Commission

An Inquiry into the Regulation of Municipal Energy Utilities