Suite 410, 900 Howe Street Vancouver, BC Canada V6Z 2N3 bcuc.com
P: 604.660.4700 TF: 1.800.663.1385 F: 604.660.1102
ORDER NUMBER G-134-23
IN THE MATTER OF the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and Recovery of British Columbia Utilities Commission Costs for the 2023/24 Fiscal Year
BEFORE: D. M. Morton, Panel Chair A. K. Fung, KC, Commissioner
WHEREAS:
on June 7, 2023 ORDER
A. Section 125 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) enables the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to recover its expenses, arising from the administration of the UCA, in each fiscal year commencing April 1 and to fix and collect levies from public utilities and other persons so defined. BC Regulation 283/88 dated July 29, 1988, authorizes the BCUC to collect and retain all levies collected under the BC Regulation 283/88 and to base the amount of a levy on the value and the volume of the energy transmitted or distributed or the service furnished;
B. The current year’s levy for recovering BCUC expenses is based on its 2023/24 budget of $19,154,367 (or $0.0428 per GJ) net of the BCUC’s over-recovery of $16,299 from 2022/23. The resulting net figure is apportioned to regulated and public utilities based on BC Regulation 283/88;
C. On May 4, 2023, the BCUC issued a consultation letter (Budget Consultation letter) to all regulated entities providing information on its fiscal 2023/24 budget and inviting any comments by May 23, 2023;
D. In a letter dated May 23, 2023, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) responded to the BCUC indicating it strongly supports the work of the BCUC and appreciates the detailed explanation set out in the BCUC’s letter regarding the need for a levy increase for increasing activity volume, key incremental activities highlighted and staff retention. BC Hydro indicated it had no concerns with the need for a levy increase;
E. F.
The BCUC did not receive any other comments from any other regulated entity; and The BCUC will recover its expenses from the levy calculation on a quarterly basis and may adjust the fourth quarter billing as needed.
BCUC Fiscal 2023/2024 Levy
Order G-134-23
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 125 of the UCA and BC Regulation 283/88, the BCUC orders as follows: 1. A levy, at the rounded rate of $0.043 per GJ or GJ equivalent of energy sold for the calendar year 2022 shall be paid by, and collected from, the public utilities, as set out in Appendix A attached to this Order, for the recovery of BCUC expenses in the fiscal year commencing April 1, 2023. This rate is slightly adjusted by correcting minor rounding errors since the issuance of the Budget Consultation letter.
2. The public utilities set out in Appendix A attached to this Order are required to pay the levy fixed for the 2023/24 fiscal year, as set out in Appendix A attached to this Order.
3. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia shall pay the BCUC’s 2023/24 fiscal year allocated budget expenses of $710,041.04, as set out in Appendix A attached to this Order.
4. Pursuant to BC Regulation 283/88 and Letter L-39-96, the following upstream natural gas processors and intraprovincial oil pipelines shall pay the following amounts for the 2023/24 fiscal year:
Pipelines Canadian Natural Resources Limited Pembina Kinder Morgan - Trans Mountain (Jet Fuel) Inc. Plateau Pipeline Ltd. NorthRiver Midstream Inc. Total
$5,000 $1,000 $5,000 $6,000 $17,000
5. Pursuant to BC Regulations 283/88 and Order A-12-13, the following natural gas marketers in the residential and commercial unbundling program shall each pay $1,000 for the 2023/24 fiscal year:
Gas Marketers Access Gas Services Inc. Bluestream Energy Inc. Direct Energy (B.C.) Ltd. Easy Energy Inc. Just Energy (B.C) Limited Partnership Summitt Energy BC LP Total
$1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $6,000
6. The BCUC’s cost recovery for the 2023/24 fiscal year will be reviewed in the last quarter to ensure the apportioned costs to all regulated entities are appropriate and the BCUC may make necessary adjustments at that time.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 7 BY ORDER Original signed by: D. M. Morton Commissioner Attachment
BCUC Fiscal 2023/2024 Levy
th
day of June 2023.
2 of 2
BRITISH COLUMBIA UTILITIES COMMISSION - 2023/24 LEVY CALCULATION
Utility Thermal Stream A Thermal Energy Utilities FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Etoile 2 8X on the Park Bordeaux Windsor Cascade City SOLO III - Cirrus Maywood on the Park Corix Multi-Utility Services Inc. Belmonte Central Energy Plant/Sun Rivers Resort Community Talasa Cental Energy Plant/Sun Rivers Resort Community Creative Energy Vancouver Platforms Inc. 188 Keefer Street 2200 Kingsway Street 1770 Pendrell Street Connect TES (Richmond) Holdings Inc. Parc Riviera (Building A-G + T4) The Pier / Kawaki 3CP Energy Utility Company Ltd. Residential Hotel Commercial Kelowna OWS Utility Inc. One Water Street Richmond Prima Utility Inc. Prima Sustainable Services Ltd. Westhills TES - Stream A TAB Utility Corp. Vancouver Cambie Parc Holdings Inc. Parc Elise Vancouver Kingsway Holdings Inc. Independent Vancouver Parc 26 Holdings Inc. Parc 26
Stream B Thermal Energy Utilities FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Delta School District #37 Corix Multi-Utility Services Inc. BMDEU - SFU BMDEU - UniverCity UBC Neighbourhood District Energy System (UBC NDES) Dockside Green Energy (DGE) Creative Energy Vancouver Platforms Inc. Core and NEFC South Downtown Heating South Downtown Cooling Mount Pleasant Cooling Onni Group Cambie Gardens Energy LP River District Energy LP Shannon Estates Utilities Ltd. SSL-Sustainable Services Ltd. Westhills TES - Stream B ("Paradise Falls")
Mandatory Auto Insurance Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
TOTAL
2023/24 TBoCtUalC B FCoUrCe cFaosrtecda sEtx Epxepnednitduitruerses 2023/24 BCUC FFoorreeccaasstt Dedir eDcitr eRcetc Roevecorivees r(iiensc luding FPTA) Plus: 2022//23 Ovveerr--RReeccoovveerryy ( C(Creredditi)t)
Less Fiixed Annuuaall FFeeeess:: Naturall Gaass Maarrkkeetteerrss Intra--Prrovviincciiaall OOili lP Pipipeelilninee C Coommppaannieies s& & Upstrream Gaass PPrroocceesssoorrss Insurancce Coorrppoorraattioionn o of fB Brritiitsishh C Coolulummbbiaia 2023/24 Nett FFoorreeccaasstt Eexdp Eexnpdeitnudrietsu rtoes b teo r beeco rveecroevdered
Levy Calculation: Units of Energy Sold in Calenda r 2022
Levy per Gigajoule
BCUC Fiscal 2023/2024 Levy
Regulated Volume (GJ)
5,746 14,155 5,292 4,230 10,911 11,610 3,280
1,428,244 29,189 12,722 3,161
444,863,328
247.40 609.47 227.86 182.13 469.79 499.89 141.23
6,173.03 2,408.29 2,958.00 364.74
61,495.54 1,256.78 547.77 136.09
217.59
19,154,36722,112,719 (2,209,012 ) (16,299 ) 19,887,408
(6,000 )
(17,000 ) (710,041 ) 19,154,367
$0.0430$506.7044533 //GGJ J
Billing Quarter 1
61.85 152.37 56.97 45.53 117.45 124.97 35.31
270.19
16.7635.87
20.01 1,543.26 602.07 739.50 91.1954.40
Billing Quarter 2
61.85 152.37 56.97 45.53 117.45 124.97 35.31
270.19
35.87
54.40
4,966,102APPENDIX A to Order G-134-23
61.85 152.37 56.97 45.53 117.45 124.97 35.31
270.19
35.87
54.40
61.85 152.36 56.95 45.54 117.44 124.98 35.30
270.20
35.86
54.39