Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-224-23

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

Powell River Energy Inc.

Status as a Public Utility

 

BEFORE:

T. A. Loski, Panel Chair

C. M. Brewer, Commissioner

 

on August 23, 2023

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      Powell River Energy Inc. (PREI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (Brookfield), owns and operates two hydroelectric generating stations constructed in the early 1900s, with an aggregate nameplate capacity of approximately 85 megawatts, and transmission and distribution facilities (Power Facilities) located on Powell Lake and Lois Lake in Powell River;

B.      By Order G-38-23 dated February 24, 2023, as amended by Order G-120-23 dated May 18, 2023, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) established a public hearing process for the review of PREI’s status as a public utility and set out a regulatory timetable directing PREI to, among other things, provide public notice of the proceeding to potentially affected parties;

C.      By Order G-161-23 with Reasons for Decision dated June 22, 2023, the BCUC amended the regulatory timetable to allow intervener registration and established further regulatory process that included a second round of BCUC information requests (IRs), and one round of Intervener IRs;

D.      By July 6, 2023, Paper Excellence Canada, The Council of Canadians – Powell River Branch, and Energy Democracy for BC filed requests to intervene;

E.       By Order G-213-23 dated August 9, 2023, the BCUC amended the regulatory timetable to allow further time for PREI’s response to BCUC IR No. 2;

F.       By email dated August 15, 2023, Energy Democracy for BC filed with the BCUC an intervener submission and a request to add the submission to the evidentiary record (Energy Democracy Evidence);

G.      The BCUC has reviewed Energy Democracy for BC’s request and considers that receipt of the Energy Democracy Evidence into the evidentiary record of the proceeding would support the BCUC’s review of PREI’s status as a public utility; and

H.      The BCUC determines that an amendment to the regulatory timetable to allow for the submission and testing of intervener evidence along with further process is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders the regulatory timetable established by Order G-213-23 dated August 9, 2023 is amended and attached as Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this           23^rd         of August 2023.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

T. A. Loski

Commissioner

 

 

Attachment

 

 

Powell River Energy Inc.

Status as a Public Utility