ORDER NUMBER
G-188-22
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
Recovery of British Columbia Utilities Commission Costs
for the 2022/23 Fiscal Year
BEFORE:
D. M. Morton, Commissioner
A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner
on July 13, 2022
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. Section 125 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) enables the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to recover its expenses, arising from the administration of the UCA, in each fiscal year commencing April 1 and to fix and collect levies from public utilities and other persons so defined. BC Regulation 283/88 dated July 29, 1988, authorizes the BCUC to collect and retain all levies collected under the BC Regulation 283/88 and to base the amount of a levy on the value and the volume of the energy transmitted or distributed or the service furnished;
B. The current year’s levy for recovering BCUC expenses is based on its 2022/23 approved budget of $19,371,938 less the BCUC’s over-recovery of $1,410,695 from 2021/22. The resulting net figure is apportioned to regulated and public utilities based on BC Regulation 283/88; and
C. The BCUC will recover its expenses from the levy calculation on a quarterly basis and may adjust the fourth quarter billing.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 125 of the UCA and BC Regulation 283/88, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. A levy, at the rate of $0.0372508476 per GJ equivalent of energy sold for the calendar year 2021 shall be paid by, and collected from, the public utilities, as set out in Appendix A attached to this order, for the recovery of BCUC expenses in the fiscal year commencing April 1, 2022.
2. The public utilities set out in Appendix A attached to this order are required to pay the levy fixed for the 2022/23 fiscal year, as set out in Appendix A attached to this order.
3. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia shall pay the BCUC’s 2022/23 fiscal year allocated budgeted expenses of $710,041.04, as set out in Appendix A attached to this order.
4. Pursuant to BC Regulation 283/88 and Letter L-39-96, the following upstream natural gas processors and intra-provincial oil pipelines shall pay the following amounts for the 2022/23 fiscal year:
| Pipelines |
|
| Canadian Natural Resources Limited |
$5,000 |
| Pembina Kinder Morgan - Trans Mountain (Jet Fuel) Inc. |
$1,000 |
| Plateau Pipeline Ltd. |
$5,000 |
| NorthRiver Midstream Inc. |
$6,000 |
| Total |
$17,000 |
5. Pursuant to BC Regulations 283/88 and Order A-12-13, the following natural gas marketers in the residential and commercial unbundling program shall each pay $1,000 for the 2022/23 fiscal year:
| Gas Marketers |
|
| Access Gas Services Inc. |
$1,000 |
| Bluestream Energy Inc. |
$1,000 |
| Direct Energy (B.C.) Ltd. |
$1,000 |
| Easy Energy Inc. |
$1,000 |
| Just Energy (B.C) Limited Partnership |
$1,000 |
| Summitt Energy BC LP |
$1,000 |
| Total |
$6,000 |
6. The BCUC’s cost recovery for the 2022/23 fiscal year will be reviewed in the last quarter to ensure the apportioned costs to all regulated entities are appropriate and the BCUC may make necessary adjustments at that time.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 13th day of July 2022.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D. M. Morton
Commissioner
Attachment