ORDER NUMBER
G-193-24
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Direction Respecting Industrial Electrification in OIC No. 441 and Order G-108-24 Compliance
BEFORE:
M. Jaccard, Commissioner
on July 18, 2024
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. By Order in Council (OIC) No. 441, approved and ordered on July 6, 2024, and deposited on July 8, 2024, the Lieutenant Governor in Council amended the Direction to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) Respecting Industrial Electrification, B.C. Reg. 295/2020 (Direction);
B. OIC No. 441 requires that within 10 days of the date the amendment comes into force, the BCUC must issue an order setting rates for the following rate schedules (RS) that are attached as Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 in OIC No. 441, effective on the date the order is issued:
i. RS 1894 – Transmission service – Clean B.C. Industrial Electrification Rate - Clean Industry and Innovation
ii. RS 1895 – Transmission Service – Clean B.C. Industrial Electrification Rate – Fuel Switching
C. By Order G-108-24 dated April 11, 2024, the BCUC approved BC Hydro’s application to allow RS 1895 to be available to customers who are eligible to receive service under RS 1830 and to apply RS 1830 energy and demand charges as the basis for billing customers on RS 1894 and RS 1895 on an interim and refundable/recoverable basis starting on April 1, 2024, and until amended rate schedules for RS 1894 and RS 1895 are filed with and approved by the BCUC;
D. On July 11, 2024, BC Hydro filed an application for permanent approval of RS 1894 and RS 1895 in accordance with OIC No. 441 and in compliance with Order G-108-24 (Application);
E. In the Application, BC Hydro submits that there is no difference between the interim rate approvals granted pursuant to Order G-108-24 and Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 in OIC No. 441. Accordingly, BC Hydro requests that the interim rate approvals granted pursuant to G-108-24 be approved on a permanent, non-recoverable basis and that the amended rate schedules provided in Attachment 2 of the Application be approved effective on the date of the BCUC’s order;
F. The BCUC has reviewed the Application in accordance with OIC No. 441 and considers that approval of Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 as set out in OIC No. 441 is required. The BCUC has not reviewed OIC No. 441 for its regulatory justification.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to sections 58 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. The interim rate approvals granted in Order G-108-24 are made permanent, effective April 1, 2024.
2. The amended rate schedules for RS 1894 and RS 1895, provided in Attachment 2 of the Application pursuant to OIC No. 441, are approved effective on the date of this order and replace the prior versions of the respective rate schedules.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 18th day of July 2024.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
M. Jaccard
Commissioner