Orders

 

ORDER NUMBER

F-34-22

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. and

Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd.

Application for Approval of a Low Carbon Energy Cost Recovery Mechanism and

Biomethane Purchase Agreements

 

BEFORE:

R. I. Mason, Panel Chair

A. C. Dennier, Commissioner

M. Kresivo, KC, Commissioner

 

on December 16, 2022

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On November 17, 2021, Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. and Pacific Northern Gas (N.E.) Ltd. (collectively, PNG) submitted an application to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), seeking approval of a Low Carbon Energy Cost Recovery Mechanism, and pursuant to section 71 of the UCA and the BCUC Rules for Natural Gas Energy Supply Contracts, seeking approval of Biomethane Purchase Agreements (BPAs) with ATCO Future Fuel RNG Limited Partnership (ATCO) and Tidal Energy Marketing Inc. (Tidal) (Application);

B.      By Orders G-6-22, G-90-22, G-138-22 and G-141-22, the BCUC established a written hearing process to review the Application. The regulatory timetable included intervener registration, two rounds of information requests (IR), final arguments and reply on the BPAs, submissions on further process, and final arguments and reply on the Low Carbon Energy Cost Recovery Mechanism;

C.      BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA), FortisBC Energy Inc., and the Residential Consumer Intervener Association (RCIA) registered as interveners in the proceeding;

D.      By Order E-7-22 dated April 1, 2022, the BCUC accepted the BPAs for filing as prescribed undertakings pursuant to section 71 of the UCA, the BCUC Rules for Natural Gas Energy Supply Contracts, section 18 of the Clean Energy Act and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation;

E.       By Order G-339-22 dated November 25, 2022, pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the UCA, the BCUC approved, among other things, a Low Carbon Energy cost recovery mechanism for PNG, subject to directives and determinations in the Order and accompanying Decision;

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

 

G.      By email dated December 5, 2022, PNG stated that it found the PACA funding amounts requested by BCSEA and RCIA 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 determines that the cost awards should be approved.

 

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 118(1) of the UCA, 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 amounts in a timely manner.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this           16^th           day of December 2022.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

R. I. Mason

Commissioner