ORDER NUMBER
G-79-24
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Inc.
and
Nelson Hydro
BEFORE:
M. Jaccard, Commissioner
on March 20, 2024
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On March 15, 2024, the Lieutenant Governor in Council approved Order in Council (OIC) No. 131, which enacted the Direction to the British Columbia Utilities Commission Respecting the British Columbia Energy Affordability Credit (Direction);
B. Section 3 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) states that the Lieutenant Governor in Council, by regulation, may issue a direction to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) with respect to the exercise of the powers and the performance of the duties of the BCUC;
C. The Direction requires the BCUC to issue final orders, within 10 days of the enactment of the Direction, to FortisBC Inc. (FBC) and Nelson Hydro to enable the provision of credits to their customers;
D. Nelson Hydro is owned and operated by the City of Nelson and is excluded from regulation under the UCA to the extent it is serving customers within its municipal boundaries. Accordingly, the BCUC’s jurisdiction pertains solely to Nelson Hydro’s non-municipal, or rural, ratepayers;
E. The terms used in this order, unless otherwise defined within this order, have the same meaning given to them in the Direction where applicable; and
F. The BCUC makes the following directives as required by OIC No. 131 and the Direction. The BCUC has not conducted a regulatory review.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to OIC No. 131, attached as Appendix A to this order, and sections 59 to 61 and 63 of the UCA, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. FBC is directed to provide to its customers a credit on their bills in respect of service provided during the period from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 as set out in section 3 of the Direction.
2. Nelson Hydro is directed to provide to its customers in its rural service area a one-time credit as set out in section 4 of the Direction.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 20th day of March 2024.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
M. Jaccard
Commissioner
Attachment