ORDER NUMBER
F-26-22
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Fiscal 2023 to Fiscal 2025 Revenue Requirements Application
Interim Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application
BEFORE:
D. M. Morton, Panel Chair
A. K. Fung, KC, Commissioner
R. I. Mason, Commissioner
A. Pape-Salmon, Commissioner
on October 11, 2022
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On August 31, 2021, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed its Fiscal 2023 to Fiscal 2025 Revenue Requirements Application (Application) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) pursuant to sections 44.2, and 58 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act requesting, among other things, interim and, after certain future determinations in other proceedings, permanent approval of the following:
(i) Increase in rates by 0.62 percent, effective April 1, 2022, by 0.97 percent, effective April 1, 2023 and by 2.18 percent, effective April 1, 2024; and
(ii) The fiscal 2023, fiscal 2024, and fiscal 2025 Open Access Transmission Tariff rates as set out in Table 9-4 of the Application;
B. In the Application, BC Hydro also requested to set the Deferral Account Rate Rider on an interim and permanent basis at (2.0) percent, effective April 1, 2022 for fiscal 2023; and, on a permanent basis at (1.0) percent, effective April 1, 2023 for fiscal 2024 and (0.5) percent, effective April 1, 2024 for fiscal 2025;
C. By Orders G-263-21, G-72-22, G-136-22, G-166-22, G-189-22, and G-239-22 the BCUC established and amended the regulatory timetable for the review of the Application, which provided for, among other items, a procedural conference, notices of intent to file intervener evidence, written submissions on the scope of an oral hearing, three rounds of BCUC and intervener information requests (IR) to BC Hydro, intervener evidence and a round of IRs on that evidence, rebuttal evidence and an oral hearing, followed by written final and reply arguments;
D. The Kwadacha Nation and the Tsay Keh Dene Nation, together the Zone II Ratepayers Group (Zone II RPG) registered as an intervener in the proceeding and, on September 23, 2022, filed an interim Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) application with the BCUC requesting $89,655 with respect to its participation in the proceeding pursuant to the BCUC’s PACA Guidelines (Interim PACA Application); and
E. The BCUC has reviewed the Interim PACA Application in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines attached to Order G-97-17 and determines that an interim cost award is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 118(1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. Interim costs in the amount of $89,655 are awarded to Zone II RPG as an advance against the BCUC’s final cost award determination after the conclusion of the proceeding.
2. BC Hydro is directed to pay Zone II RPG the amount of the interim cost award in a timely manner.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 11th day of October 2022.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D. M. Morton
Commissioner