Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-114-23

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Electricity Purchase Agreement Extension for Robson Valley

BEFORE:

C. M. Brewer, Panel Chair

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

on May 11, 2023

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On March 31, 2023, pursuant to section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) a 34-month extension agreement dated January 31, 2023 (Extension Agreement) to the Robson Valley Electricity Purchase Agreement dated February 1, 2020 (Robson Valley 2020 EPA), between BC Hydro and Robson Valley Power Corporation (RVPC) for the 3.6 MW Robson Valley hydro project (Robson Valley) (Filing);

B.      By Order G-61-12, dated May 17, 2012, the BCUC approved the Rules for Energy Supply Contracts for Electricity (Rules). Appendix A of Order G-61-12 contains the Rules, which are intended to facilitate the BCUC’s review of energy supply contracts for electricity, pursuant to section 71 of the UCA;

C.      By Order G-164-20 dated June 19, 2020, the BCUC accepted the Robson Valley 2020 EPA that had an effective date of February 1, 2020 and was set to expire on January 31, 2023;

D.      The Extension Agreement extends the expiration date for the Robson Valley 2020 EPA from January 31, 2023, to November 30, 2025;

E.       BC Hydro requests that the un-redacted version of the Filing, including the Robson Valley 2020 EPA and Extension Agreement, be held confidential as it contains commercially sensitive information; and

F.       The BCUC has commenced its review of the Filing and determines that the establishment of a written comment process and regulatory timetable for review of the Filing are warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       The regulatory timetable for the review of the Filing is established, as set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.        BC Hydro is directed to provide a copy of the Filing and this order by May 18, 2023, electronically where possible, to all registered interveners of BC Hydro’s Fiscal 2023 to 2025 Revenue Requirements Application and all First Nations within the consultative boundaries of the Robson Valley facility.

3.       BC Hydro is directed to provide by Tuesday, May 23, 2023, written confirmation of compliance with Directive 2.

4.       Parties wishing to provide comments on the Filing are invited to submit letters of comment by the deadline date established in the Regulatory Timetable and in accordance with the BCUC's Rules attached to Order
G-72-23. Letters of comment must be in the Letter of Comment Form available on the BCUC’s website at https://www.bcuc.com/Forms/LetterOfComment.

5.       The BCUC will hold the un-redacted version of the Filing confidential, as it contains commercially sensitive information.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                  11^th                day of May 2023.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

C. M. Brewer

Commissioner

Attachment

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Electricity Purchase Agreement Extension for Robson Valley