Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-152-23

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Resort Gas Ltd.

2023 Revenue Requirements

BEFORE:

E. B Lockhart, Panel Chair

W.M. Everett, KC, Commissioner

on June 16, 2023

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      Pursuant to Order G-359-22, on April 28, 2023, Resort Gas Ltd. (Resort Gas) filed its 2023 Revenue Requirements Application (RRA) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for approval to set the current 2023 interim delivery rates as the permanent 2023 delivery rates, effective January 1, 2023 (Application);

B.      By Order G-359-22, the BCUC directed Resort Gas to set the 2023 interim delivery rates at the 2022 permanent delivery rates on a recoverable or refundable basis, effective January 1, 2023, and to file a 2023 RRA for permanent delivery rates, by March 31, 2023;

C.      By letter dated March 31, 2023, the BCUC granted Resort Gas’s request for a 30-day extension to file its 2023 RRA;

D.      The BCUC has commenced its review of the Application and considers that establishing a regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

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

2.       Resort Gas is directed to file the supplemental information outlined in Appendix C to this Order, by Friday, July 7, 2023.

3.       Resort Gas is directed to provide the Public Notice in Appendix B to this order and a copy of this order to all its customers, electronically where possible, by Friday, June 23, 2023.

4.       Resort Gas is directed to provide written confirmation to the BCUC, by Monday, June 26, 2023, that the public notice, as directed in Directive 3, has been provided to all its customers.

5.       Resort Gas must make the Application available for inspection at its head office and on its website at sunpeaksutilities.com.

6.       In accordance with BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, any party wishing to provide comments is invited to submit a letter of comment by Thursday, August 24, 2023. Letters of comment can be submitted through the Letter of Comment Form available on the BCUC’s website at https://www.bcuc.com/Forms/LetterOfComment.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this               16^th                 day of June, 2023.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

E.B. Lockhart

Commissioner

Attachment

Resort Gas Ltd.

2023 Revenue Requirements

RESORT GAS LTD. 2023 REVENUE REQUIREMENTS

On April 28, 2023, Resort Gas Ltd. filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) its 2023 Revenue Requirements Application requesting approval to set the current interim delivery rates as permanent, effective January 1, 2023.

Please visit the Proceeding webpage on bcuc.com under “Our Work” to learn more.  To participate in the proceeding, visit www.bcuc.com/get-involved.

Subscribe to a Proceeding on bcuc.com under “Get Involved” to receive email notifications when public documents are added to the proceeding.

Resort Gas Ltd.

2023 Revenue Requirements

1.       Please clarify whether the 2022 projected amounts, as provided in the financial schedules and throughout the Application, are the 2022 Actual amounts for Resort Gas. If not, please provide an update to the financial schedules and Application with the 2022 Actual amounts. To the extent that the 2022 Actual amounts are not available, please explain why not.

2.       Please provide a comparison between the actual and forecast gas consumptions for 2022, including a detailed explanation for significant variances between the actual and forecast amounts, if any.

3.       Please provide an update to the expected in-service date and the estimated number of new customers from service line and meter installation charges and capital additions at the following property developments:

a.       Peaks West development;

b.       Altitude development;

c.       Powder Heights development; and

d.       Switchback Creek development.

4.       Please explain why the Net Income Summary for 2006-2024 (Schedule A) shows a projected Net Loss of $26,119 for 2023 while the Operating Projection on Propane Sales (Schedule 1) shows a forecast Net Income of $45,452 for 2023. 

5.       Please provide Resort Gas’s 2023 forecast revenue requirements based on maintaining the current interim delivery rate in the same format as provided under tab “Fix” in the Excel attachment for Panel IR 1.1.1 i)  in Exhibit B-11 in the 2022 BCUC Proceeding to Set Delivery Rates for Resort Gas Ltd.

6.       Please provide an updated copy of the Terms and Conditions of the Agreement between Resort Gas and FortisBC Energy Inc. (referred to as Fortis Gas in the Application), as needed, given that the current Agreement expired on April 30, 2023. As part of the response, please provide a description of the key changes to the Agreement and an update to the revenue projection, if applicable.