Orders

 

ORDER NUMBER

G-125-23

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

2023–2024 Revenue Requirements Application

for the PNG-West Division

 

BEFORE:

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

A. Pape-Salmon, Commissioner

 

on June 1, 2023

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On November 30, 2022, Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) filed its 2023–2024 Revenue Requirements Application (RRA) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for its West division (PNG-West) pursuant to sections 58 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA);

B.      By Order G-374-22, the BCUC, among other things, approved PNG's basic charges, delivery rates and Revenue Stabilization Adjustment Mechanism (RSAM) rate rider on an interim and refundable/recoverable basis, effective January 1, 2023, and established a regulatory timetable for the proceeding. The timetable included intervener registration, filing an amended application, two rounds of information requests (IRs) to PNG, responses to IRs, written final argument and reply argument;

C.      British Columbia Old Age Pensioner’s Organization, Active Support Against Poverty, Council of Senior Citizen’s Organizations of BC, Disability Alliance BC, and Tenant Resource and Advisory Center, known collectively as BCOAPO et al. (BCOAPO) and Residential Consumer Intervener Association (RCIA) registered as interveners in the proceeding, and both parties have participated to date;

D.      On February 28, 2023, PNG filed its amended application for approval of 2023 and 2024 delivery rates on a permanent basis and on April 25, 2023, PNG filed its responses to BCUC and Intervener IR No. 1;

E.       By letter dated May 1, 2023, PNG requested that:

1.       The proceeding be paused given uncertainty with respect to PNG’s existing Rate Schedule (RS) 80 customer's progress towards obtaining a positive financial investment decision. PNG states that it is currently working with the RS 80 customer to support its anticipated project in-service date while simultaneously working to mitigate risk to PNG and its ratepayers; and

2.       An update be filed with the BCUC four weeks from the date of the BCUC order pausing the RRA proceeding;

F.       By Order G-103-23, the BCUC amended the regulatory timetable and directed PNG to file a status update regarding the RS 80 customer's project and financial situation (Status Update), including a recommendation on further process by Wednesday, May 31, 2023;

G.      On May 31, 2023, PNG filed its Status Update acknowledging that no instalment payments have been received by PNG to date, however; the RS 80 customer has made some progress towards obtaining the financing required to support its short-term obligations and to achieve a positive financial investment decision. Based on this, PNG requests that the BCUC amend the regulatory timetable to allow PNG to file a further status update by June 30, 2023; and

H.      The BCUC has reviewed the Status Update and considers that a further regulatory timetable is warranted.

 

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

 

1.       A further regulatory timetable is established as set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       PNG is directed to file with the BCUC a further status update regarding the RS 80 customer's project and financial situation (Further Status Update), including a recommendation on further process by Friday, June 30, 2023.

 

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                1^st                day of June 2023.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

T. A. Loski

Commissioner

 

 

Attachment

 

 

Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.

2023–2024 Revenue Requirements Application

for the PNG-West Division