Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-3-24

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

FortisBC Inc.

Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
for the A.S. Mawdsley Terminal Station Project

Participant Cost Award Application

 

BEFORE:

T. A. Loski, Panel Chair

A. C. Dennier, Commissioner

W. M. Everett, KC, Commissioner

 

 

on January 15, 2024

 

ORDER

 

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On February 24, 2023, pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act, FortisBC Inc. (FBC) filed an application (Application) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the A.S. Mawdsley (ASM) Terminal Station Project (Project);

B.      The Project includes installation of two new 150 MVA 63/161 kV transformers with the required site footprint expansion and other alterations at the Warfield Terminal Station (WTS) and the subsequent decommissioning of the ASM Terminal Station. Both the ASM Terminal Station and the WTS are located in Trail, BC;

C.      By Order G-70-23, dated March 30, 2023, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable for the review of the Application, which consisted of public notice, intervener registration, two rounds of information requests and final and reply arguments;

D.      British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. (BCOAPO); Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC); Industrial Customers Group (ICG); Alan Wait; and Murray McConnachie registered as interveners in the proceeding. Alan Wait later submitted a withdrawal of intervener status;

E.       By Decision and Order C-6-23 dated December 6, 2023, the BCUC issued a CPCN for the Project;

F.       The BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, which are attached to Order G-72-23, set out rules for Participant Cost Awards in Part VI. Rule 35.01 states that any application by a participant for a cost award must be filed with the BCUC no later than 5 business days following the issuance of the final decision or report in a proceeding, unless the BCUC permits otherwise;

G.      The following participants filed Participant Cost Award (PCA) applications with the BCUC with respect to their participation in the proceeding:

 

H.      By email dated December 13, 2023, BCOAPO acknowledged that its PCA application would be filed after the deadline established by Rule 35.01 due to illness;

I.         On January 3, 2024, FBC provided its comments on the PCA applications, stating that if the BCUC is satisfied that the participants have met the eligibility requirements, that the time claimed for participation is reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances of this proceeding, and that the level of participation has met with the BCUC’s criteria and requirements in accordance with the PCA Rules, then FBC has no further comment; and

J.        The BCUC has reviewed the PCA applications in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the Rules of Practice and Procedure for Participant Cost Awards. The BCUC considers that BCOAPO’s PCA application was filed one business day after the deadline set out by Rule 35.01. However, the BCUC accepts BCOAPO’s PCA application in the circumstances and determines that the cost awards as applied for by all three participants should be approved.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 118(1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:

 

1.       Funding is awarded to the following participants in the listed amounts for their participation in the proceeding:

2.       FBC is directed to reimburse the above-noted participants for the awarded amounts in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this      15^th      day of January 2024.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

T. A. Loski

Commissioner