ORDER NUMBER
E-17-24
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Energy Inc.
Section 71 Filing of Aitken Creek
5 Year Firm Gas Storage Agreement
BEFORE:
B. A. Magnan, Panel Chair
E. A. Brown, Commissioner
E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner
W. E. Royle, Commissioner
on July 18, 2024
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On June 26, 2024, pursuant to section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) an executed copy of the Aitken Creek Gas Storage ULC Agreement (Storage Agreement) negotiated between FEI and Aitken Creek Gas Storage ULC (Aitken Creek) for the period of August 1, 2024, to March 31, 2029 (Filing);
B. By Order G-130-06, dated October 27, 2006, the BCUC established the Rules for Natural Gas Energy Supply Contracts (Rules). The Rules are intended to facilitate the BCUC’s review of natural gas energy supply contracts;
C. By Letter L-30-23, dated June 8, 2023, the BCUC accepted the FEI 2023/2024 Annual Gas Contracting Plan;
D. FEI requests that the Filing and associated documents remain confidential in perpetuity due to their commercially sensitive nature; and
E. The BCUC has reviewed the Filing and considers that acceptance of the Storage Agreement is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 71 of the UCA and the Rules, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. The BCUC accepts for filing the executed copy of the Storage Agreement between FEI and Aitken Creek, effective August 1, 2024.
2. The Filing, including the Storage Agreement, will be kept confidential until the BCUC determines otherwise.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 18th day of July 2024.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
B. A. Magnan
Commissioner