Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-349-23

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

FortisBC Alternative Energy Services

Telus Garden TES Complaint filed by Strata Plan EPS 3242 and
Georgia and Seymour Properties Limited Partnership

 

BEFORE:

B. A. Magnan, Panel Chair

W. M. Everett KC, Commissioner

 

on December 14 , 2023

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On January 5, 2023, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) received a complaint from Strata Plan EPS 3242 and Georgia and Seymour Properties Limited Partnership (Customers) regarding the proposed rates of FortisBC Alternative Energy Services Inc. (FAES) for the TELUS Garden Thermal Energy System (TGTES) (Complaint);

B.      In the Complaint, the Customers raised two areas of concern: the allocation of Thermal Energy System Deferral Account recovery charges to TGTES and the allocation of increased costs to TGTES for overheads and shared services provided by FAES affiliates;

C.      By Orders C-1-13, issued February 4, 2013 and G-2-15, issued January 9, 2015, the BCUC granted FAES a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and approved the rate design and rates for the TGTES, among other matters;

D.      Between January 5, 2023, and May 30, 2023, BCUC staff received information from FAES and the Customers through the BCUC complaints process;

E.       On June 20, 2023, the BCUC directed FAES to file supplementary information regarding the issues raised in the Complaint. FAES filed its response on June 30, 2023;

F.       On July 28, 2023, the BCUC determined that a public hearing for the review of the Complaint is warranted and established a regulatory timetable, which was subsequently amended by Order G-256-23, dated September 28, 2023;

G.      On August 4, 2023, the BCUC issued Information Request No. 1 (IR1) to FAES and the Customers. FAES and the Customers filed their IR1 responses on August 18, 2023;

H.      On October 12, 2023, the BCUC received the Customers final argument, followed by FAES final argument on October 23, 2023, and by the Customers reply argument on October 27, 2023; and

I.         The Panel has reviewed the information on the evidentiary record and considers that reopening the evidentiary record of this proceeding is warranted to accommodate the issuance of Panel Information Request (IR) to FAES and the filing by FAES of responses to Panel IR.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC establishes a further regulatory timetable as set out in Appendix A to this order.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this           14^th        day of December 2023.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

B.A. Magnan

Commissioner

 

 

Attachment

 

 

FortisBC Alternative Energy Services

Telus Garden TES Complaint filed by Strata Plan EPS 3242 and

Georgia and Seymour Properties Limited Partnership