ORDER NUMBER
G-389-22
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
Corix Multi-Utility Services Inc.
Request to Discontinue COVID-19 Compliance Filings
and Disposition of COVID-19 Deferral Accounts Balances
BEFORE:
B. A. Magnan, Commissioner
on December 22, 2022
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On October 27, 2022, Corix Multi-Utility Services Inc. (Corix) requested that the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) discontinue Corix’s COVID-19 Deferral Account reports required under Order G-176-20, pursuant to section 99 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), and approve, pursuant to sections 59 and 60 of the UCA, the transfer of $5,189 of the allocated COVID-19 Deferral account balances for Dockside Green Energy (DGE) of $681, Burnaby Mountain District Energy Utility – UniverCity (BMDEU-UniverCity) of $2,637, and UBC Neighbourhood District Energy System (UBC NDES) of $1,871 to their respective Revenue Deficiency Deferral Account (RDDA) for recovery through the established rate setting mechanism for each respective utility (Application). Per the Application, Corix will write-off the balances in the remaining
COVID-19 Deferral Accounts without recovery from customers (altogether Application);
B. On June 30, 2020, the BCUC issued Order G-176-20 to Corix and each of the Corix Utilities, approving Corix’s requests pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia. The Corix Utilities are listed as:
• Dockside Green Energy Utility (DGE);
• Burnaby Mountain District Energy Utility (BMDEU), which provides services to:
i. Simon Fraser University (SFU); and
ii. UniverCity residential neighbourhood (UniverCity);
• Neighborhood District Energy System at the University of British Columbia (UBC NDES);
• Sun Rivers Gas;
• Sun Rivers Electric;
• Sonoma Pines Gas;
• Sonoma Pines Electric; and
• Panorama Propane;
C. Directive 1 of Order G-176-20 established a non-rate base COVID-19 Deferral Account (COVID-19 Deferral Account) for each of the Corix Utilities (above), (“collectively, the COVID-19 Deferral Accounts”) to record, among other things, incremental costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic;
D. Directive 2 of Order G-176-20 required Corix to file quarterly reports with the BCUC, consisting of a report on the aggregate amounts in the COVID-19 Deferral Account for each of the Corix Utilities. The report needed to include the number of customers that have been approved for flexible payment plans, in addition to reporting on the current balance in the deferral account;
E. Directive 3 of Order G-176-20 required Corix to file annual reports with the BCUC consisting of a detailed report on the amounts in the COVID-19 Deferral Account for each of the Corix Utilities. The annual report needed to include the number of customers that have been approved for flexible payment plans, in addition to reporting on the current balances in the COVID-19 Deferral Account for each of the Corix Utilities;
F. Corix has filed Quarterly Reports since July 30, 2020, up to October 27, 2022, and Annual Reports since February 1, 2021, up to February 1, 2022. Corix requests the October 27, 2022 Quarterly Report serve as the last Covid-19 Deferral Account report required under G-176-20;
G. Corix provides the following reasons in support of the request to discontinue reporting:
i. No material changes to COVID-19 Deferral Account balance expected in the future;
ii. No use of flexible payment plans due to COVID-19 expected in the future; and
iii. No bad debt due to COVID-19 expected in the future.
H. On November 21, 2022, the BCUC issued Staff Questions to Corix. On November 30, 2022, Corix provided responses in which Corix is seeking to close the COVID-19 Deferral Accounts; and
I. The BCUC has reviewed the Application and has determined a variance to Directive 2 and Directive 3 of Order G-176-20, is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 59, 60 and 99 of the UCA, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. Corix is approved to discontinue its COVID-19 Deferral Account Compliance Filings, and thus a variance to Directive 2 and Directive 3 of Order G-176-20, is approved, effective the date of this Order.
2. Corix is approved to transfer $5,189 of the allocated COVID-19 Deferral Account balances comprised of $681 for DGE, $2,637 for BMDEU – UniverCity, and $1,871 for UBC NDES to their respective RDDA for recovery, as soon as practicable.
3. Corix is approved to write-off the remaining $3,957 balance in the COVID-19 Deferral Accounts for BDMEU-SFU, Sun Rivers Gas, Sun Rivers Electric, Sonoma Pines Gas, Sonoma Pines Electric, and Panorama Propane, as soon as practicable.
4. Corix is approved to close the COVID-19 Deferral Account for each of the Corix Utilities, as soon as practicable.
5. Corix is directed to report when the COVID-19 Deferral Accounts for each of the Corix Utilities are closed.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 23rd day of December 2022.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
B. A. Magnan
Commissioner