Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-296-21

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Utilities Commission

Inquiry into the Regulation of Safety

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Panel Chair

C. M. Brewer, Commissioner

R. I. Mason, Commissioner

on October 14, 2021

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      By Order G-241-20, dated September 23, 2020, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) established an inquiry to examine the role of the BCUC in the regulation of safety (Inquiry);

B.      By Order G-34-21, dated January 29, 2021, the BCUC established that the Inquiry would be undertaken in two stages. Stage 1 will establish a general framework of key principles for the BCUC’s regulation of safety. Stage 2 will explore the application of a framework to the BCUC’s regulation of public utilities and how the BCUC will implement its mandate with regards to safety;

C.      By Order G-209-21, dated July 8, 2021, the BCUC confirmed the regulatory timetable for the Inquiry. The timetable established deadlines for, among other things, the filing of intervener evidence addressing Stage 1 and information requests (IRs) thereon;

D.      By September 16, 2021, Technical Safety BC, Borealis Geopower Inc., British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, FortisBC Energy Inc. and FortisBC Inc. (collectively, FortisBC), and Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. filed evidence addressing Stage 1;

E.       By letter dated October 8, 2021, the Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC) requested a one-week extension to the deadline for Intervener IRs on Intervener evidence and provided reasons in support of its request; and

F.       The Panel has reviewed the CEC’s request and determines an amendment to the regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders that the regulatory timetable established by Order G-209-21 is amended, as set out in Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                14^th        day of October 2021.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. M. Morton

Commissioner

Attachments

British Columbia Utilities Commission

Inquiry into the Regulation of Safety