Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-18-24

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Lower Mainland

Reactive Power Reinforcement Project

Participant Cost Award Application

 

BEFORE:

A.K. Fung, KC, Panel Chair

A.C. Dennier, Commissioner

 

on March 6, 2024

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On November 22, 2022, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed an application (Application) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the Lower Mainland Reactive Power Reinforcement Project (Project);

B.      By Order G-363-22, dated December 15, 2022, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable for a review of the Application, which consisted of public notice and intervener registration;

C.      By Order G-8-23, dated January 16, 2023, Order G-127-23, dated June 2, 2023, Order G-173-23, dated July 4, 2023, Order G-208-23, dated August 4, 2023 and Order G-265-23, dated October 10, 2023 the BCUC established further and amended regulatory timetables, which consisted of the BC Hydro Workshop, two rounds of information requests, and final and reply arguments;

D.      British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. (BCOAPO); the Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC); and Residential Consumer Intervener Association (RCIA) registered as interveners in the proceeding;

E.       By Decision and Order G-20-24 dated January 24, 2024, the BCUC denied BC Hydro a CPCN for the Project;

 

 

 

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

 

G.      On February 26, 2024, BC Hydro provided its comments on the PCA applications, stating that all three interveners have participated actively in the proceeding and contributed to a better understanding of the issues. BC Hydro submits that it has no objections to the PCA funding requested by each of the interveners; and

H.      The BCUC has reviewed the PCA applications in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure for Participant Cost Awards and determines that the cost awards as applied for 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 interveners in the listed amounts for their participation in the proceeding:

 

2.       BC Hydro is directed to reimburse the above-noted interveners for the awarded amounts in a timely manner.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this        6^th        day of March 2024.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

A.K. Fung, KC

Commissioner