ORDER NUMBER
G-312-21
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
2020 Street Lighting Rate Application
BEFORE:
W. M. Everett, QC, Panel Chair
C. M. Brewer, Commissioner
A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner
B. A. Magnan, Commissioner
on November 1, 2021
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On November 12, 2020, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) seeking approval and consents pursuant to sections 58 to 61 and section 63 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) as follows:
i. Approval of proposed amendments to Rate Schedule (RS) 1701 – Overhead Street Lighting, to allow for the provision of this service by way of Light Emitting Diode (LED) street lights on an interim and final basis;
ii. Consent to rescind RS 1755 – Private Outdoor Lighting, and approval of amendments to RS 1755 to rescind this rate schedule;
iii. Approval to waive Service Connection Charges for RS 1755 customers who request a new service for their lights; and
iv. Approval of amendments to BC Hydro’s Electric Tariff Terms and Conditions (Electric Tariff), street lighting and small general service rate schedules related to the under and over-billing of unmetered accounts, mixed-use loads, as well as housekeeping and other amendments (Application);
B. Pursuant to the Federal Government’s Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Regulations (SOR/2008-273), BC Hydro is required to eliminate all PCB-containing equipment by December 31, 2025;
C. By Order G-302-20 dated November 30, 2020, the BCUC, among other things, approved RS 1701 LED rates on an interim, refundable, or collectable basis and established a regulatory timetable for review of the Application, which included intervener registration, letter of comment submission and one round of BCUC and intervener information requests (IRs);
D. By January 26, 2021, the British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA), Zone II Ratepayers Group (Zone II RPG), District of Lillooet, Corporation of Village of Ashcroft, Manufactured Home Park Owners Alliance of BC, Mr. Larry Hill on behalf of the Village of Alert Bay, City of North Vancouver, British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization (BCOAPO), Commercial Energy Consumers Association of BC (the CEC), City of Surrey (Surrey), British Columbia Agriculture Council, City of Vernon (Vernon), Residential Consumer Intervenor Group (RCIG) and the City of Kamloops (Kamloops) filed requests to intervene, all of which were accepted by the BCUC;
E. By Order G-43-21 dated February 12, 2021, the BCUC approved an interim Supplemental Charge of $2.06 per month per light for RS 1701 customers on a refundable or collectable basis, effective May 1, 2021 and established further regulatory process that included a second round of BCUC and intervener IRs;
F. By Order G-119-21 dated April 22, 2021, the BCUC established further regulatory process and sought written submissions from BC Hydro and registered interveners regarding the benefits of street lights to ratepayers and whether the recovery of both the undepreciated values of High Pressure Sodium (HPS) and Mercury Vapour (MV) lights and Replacement Program costs should be borne by street light ratepayers or by all BC Hydro ratepayers;
G. By May 20, 2021, the BCUC received Final Arguments from BC Hydro, BCSEA, Kamloops, Zone II RPG, Surrey, Vernon, CEC, and BCOAPO. BC Hydro filed its Reply Argument on June 3, 2021; and
H. The BCUC has completed its review of the Application, submissions and evidence filed by all parties in this proceeding and finds that the following determinations are warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to sections 58 to 61 and 63 of the UCA, and for the reasons provided in the Decision issued concurrently with this order, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. Respecting RS 1701, BC Hydro is approved to:
a. amend RS 1701 as filed in the Application on a permanent basis effective May 1, 2021;
b. recover the undepreciated value of existing HPS and MV street lights that are removed before the end of their service life by way of a supplemental charge to RS 1701 customers of $2.06 per month per street light on a permanent basis, effective May 1, 2021 and terminating on March 31, 2024.
2. BCUC consents to BC Hydro rescinding RS 1755 effective, December 31, 2025.
3. BC Hydro is approved to amend the following as filed in the Application:
a. RS 1755; and
b. the Electric Tariff for mixed-use loads.
4. BC Hydro is directed to file within 30 days of the end of each annual reporting period, a report on the Replacement Program, as defined in the Decision, (Annual Replacement Program Report), with the first report covering the period ending March 31, 2022. The Annual Replacement Program Report must include the information set out in Reporting Requirement #1, as described in Appendix A of the Decision attached to this order.
5. BC Hydro is directed to provide a final report within three months of substantial completion of the Replacement Program (Final Replacement Program Report). The Final Replacement Program Report must include the information set out in Reporting Requirement #2, as described in Appendix A of the Decision attached to this order.
6. BC Hydro is directed to file two compliance reports regarding customer light trespass and light spill issues during the Replacement Program (Light Trespass Report); the first report due December 31, 2022, and the second report due December 31, 2024. The Light Trespass Report must include the information set out in Reporting Requirement #3, as described in Appendix A to the Decision attached to this order.
7. BC Hydro is directed to file annual compliance filings, commencing January 1, 2022, until December 31, 2025, reporting on progress in its implementation of its mitigation plan to reduce the customer barriers and inconveniences identified through the proposed rescindment of RS 1755 (Transition Plan) as well as customer uptake on the initiatives contemplated in the Transition Plan during that period (Annual RS 1755 Compliance Report). The Annual RS 1755 Compliance Report must include the information set out in Reporting Requirement #4, as described Appendix A of the Decision attached to this order.
8. BC Hydro is directed to file updated tariff sheets for endorsement by the BCUC reflecting the RS 1701 rates as approved within 15 business days of the date of this order.
9. BC Hydro is directed to file updated tariff sheets for endorsement by the BCUC reflecting the above RS 1701 Supplemental Charge as approved within 15 business days of the date of this order.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 1st day of November 2021.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
W. M. Everett, QC
Commissioner