Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-288-21

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Utilities Commission

General Cost of Capital Proceeding

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Panel Chair

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

K. A. Keilty, Commissioner
T. A. Loski, Commissioner

on October 6, 2021

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      By Order G-66-21 dated March 8, 2021, pursuant to section 82 of the Utilities Commission Act, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) established a Generic Cost of Capital (GCOC) Proceeding; 

B.      By the March 22, 2021 registration date for participants, a total of five Affected Utilities and five Other Utilities registered. Seven non-utility parties and two Other Utilities registered as Interveners;

C.      By Order G-156-21 dated May 21, 2021 and as amended by Order G-205-21 dated July 7, 2021, the BCUC established the scope of the proceeding and set out a two-stage proceeding to establish public utilities’ cost of capital;

D.      By Order G-183-21 dated June 11, 2021, the BCUC established further process in the regulatory timetable to seek submissions from registered utilities and interveners on whether the use of a benchmark utility (Benchmark Utility) is appropriate to determine the cost of capital for public utilities in British Columbia (BC);

E.       By Order G-281-21 dated September 24, 2021, the BCUC established that a Benchmark Utility methodology will be used in the determination of the cost of capital for utilities in BC in this GCOC Proceeding. Additionally, the BCUC established further process in the regulatory timetable and directed FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) and FortisBC Inc. (FBC) (collectively “FortisBC”) to submit evidence in support of their respective cost of capital;

F.       By letter dated September 30, 2021, FortisBC requested an extension to the deadline for the filing of evidence to January 31, 2022 to allow FortisBC adequate time to consider and prepare its evidence; and

G.      The BCUC has considered FortisBC’s request and determines that an amendment to the regulatory timetable established by Order G-281-21 is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC amends the regulatory timetable established by Order G-281-21, attached as Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this            6^th          day of October 2021.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. M. Morton

Commissioner

Attachment

British Columbia Utilities Commission

* Detailed instructions regarding the Procedural Conference will be provided in due course.