Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-8-22

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Review of the Performance Based Regulation Report

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

 

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Panel Chair

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

R. I. Mason, Commissioner

 

on February 9, 2022

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On February 25, 2019, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed its Fiscal 2020 to Fiscal 2021 (F2020–F2021) Revenue Requirements Application (RRA) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC);

B.       Directive 28 of the BCUC’s decision on the F2017–F2019 RRA directed BC Hydro to provide a report to the BCUC that discusses, among other things, the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of Performance Based Regulation (PBR) at BC Hydro and a possible approach to adopting PBR (PBR Report);

C.       BC Hydro provided the PBR Report as part of its F2020–F2021 RRA along with two expert reports regarding the matter as Appendices FF and GG to the F2020–F2021 RRA;

D.      On October 11, 2019, by Order G-244-19, the BCUC directed that the PBR Report will not be reviewed as part of the review of the F2020–F2021 RRA and by Order G-245-19, dated October 11, 2019, the BCUC established a proceeding for the review of the PBR Report and related materials;

E.       The BCUC established and amended the regulatory timetable for the review of the PBR Report and related materials by Orders G-246-19, G-326-19, G-70-20, G-251-20, G-324-20 and G-92-21, which included, among other things, a procedural conference, clarification questions and information requests (IRs) on a consultant report filed by BCUC staff, a workshop, IRs on supplementary evidence filed by BC Hydro, submissions on further process, oral submissions, and written final and reply arguments;

F.       The following interveners registered in the proceeding:

•         Association of Major Power Customers of British Columbia (AMPC);

•         BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA);

•         BC Sustainable Energy Association and Sierra Club (BCSEA);

•         British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. (BCOAPO);

•         Catalyst Paper Corporation (Catalyst);

•         Clean Energy Association of British Columbia (CEABC);

•         Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (the CEC);

•         FortisBC Energy Inc. and FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC);

•         Edlira Gjoshe (Gjoshe);

•         David Ince (Ince);

•         Kwadacha Nation and Tsay Keh Dene Nation, together the Zone II Ratepayers Group (Zone II RPG);

•         Richard McCandless (McCandless);

•         Movement of United Professionals (MoveUP);

•         Residential Consumer Intervener Association (RCIA);

•         Steve Davis & Associates Consulting Ltd. (Davis-Associates); and

•         Paul Willis (Willis);

 

G.      On December 21, 2021, by Decision and Order G-388-21, the BCUC made various determinations regarding the PBR Report;

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

 

I.         On December 22, 2021, in accordance with Section 14 of the BCUC’s PACA Guidelines approved by Order
G-97-17, the BCUC sought comment from BC Hydro on the PACA applications;

J.        On January 6, 2022, BC Hydro submitted that it has no further comment in respect of the PACA applications, and that all participants are eligible for a cost award and contributed to a better understanding by the BCUC of the issues in the proceeding; and

K.       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 makes the following determinations.

 

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, inclusive of applicable taxes, for their respective participation in the proceeding to review the PBR Report:

 

Participant	Award
The CEC	$52,900.37
MoveUP	$11,970.00
BCSEA	$38,130.75
Zone II RPG	$22,437.80
CEABC	$52,150.00
Gjoshe	$7,006.71
RCIA	$19,388.25
AMPC	$9,380.70
BCOAPO	$32,969.20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.       BC Hydro is directed to reimburse the above-noted participants for the awarded amounts in a timely manner.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this            9^th             day of February 2022.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

D. M. Morton

Commissioner