Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-33-21

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Western Transmission Gas System Reactivation and

Recommissioning Project Application and Deferral Account Increase Application

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

BEFORE:

T. A. Loski, Panel Chair

M. Kresivo, QC, Commissioner

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

on December 13, 2021

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On March 5, 2021, Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) submitted two applications (collectively, the Applications) to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC):

1.       An application pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), seeking approval of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the Western Transmission Gas System Reactivation and Recommissioning Project (Project) (CPCN Application); and

2.       An application regarding Allocation of Reactivated Capacity and Approval of Large Volume Industrial Transportation Rate Request for Increase to Reactivation Project Development Costs Deferral Account (Deferral Account Application);

B.      In the CPCN Application, PNG also sought approval under sections 59-61 of the UCA for the following:

1.       Four firm Transportation Service Agreements (TSAs) for service to be provided under PNG’s Large Volume Industrial Transportation Rate tariff; and

2.       Three service agreements for Transportation on Interconnection Facilities (Interconnection Agreements);

C.      The regulatory process for the review of the Applications included an expedited process to review the TSAs and Interconnection Agreements, and the Deferral Account Application, consisting of two rounds of written information requests (IRs) and written final arguments on select topics by PNG and interveners. The regulatory process for the review of the remainder CPCN Application consisted of two rounds of written IRs, written final arguments by PNG and interveners, one round of Panel IRs, and further submissions by PNG and interveners;

D.      The following parties registered as interveners in the proceeding:

1.       BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA); and

2.       Lax Kw’alaams Band and Metlakatla First Nation;

E.       By Order G-236-21 dated August 10, 2021, the BCUC approved the TSAs and the Interconnection Agreements. By Order G-237-21 dated August 10, 2021, the BCUC approved the Deferral Account Application. By Order C-5-21 dated November 30, 2021, the BCUC granted a CPCN for the Project;

F.       The following participants filed Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) applications with the BCUC with respect to their participation in the proceeding:

G.      By letters dated December 7, 2021, PNG provided its comments on the PACA applications, stating it finds the professional fees incurred by both interveners to be reasonable; and

H.      The BCUC has reviewed the PACA applications in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines, attached to BCUC Order G-97-17, and concludes that the cost awards should be approved.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 118(1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       Funding is awarded to the following interveners in the listed amounts for their participation in the proceeding:

2.       PNG is directed to reimburse the above-noted participants for the awarded amount in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this   13^th   day of December 2021.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

T. A. Loski

Commissioner