Orders

 

ORDER NUMBER

G-240-24

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

Oakridge Energy Limited Partnership

Oakridge Energy District Energy System 2024 to 2026 Revenue Requirements and Rates

 

BEFORE:

E. B. Lockhart, Panel Chair

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

 

on September 9, 2024

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On June 4, 2024, Oakridge Energy Limited Partnership (Oakridge Energy) filed an application to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) pursuant to sections 59 to 61 and 89 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), seeking approval of rates, on an interim and permanent basis, for the customers of Oakridge Energy (Application);

B.      By Order C-2-22 dated February 15, 2022, the BCUC granted a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to Oakridge Energy to construct and operate a district energy system (Oakridge DES) for the provision of space heating, space cooling and domestic hot water to the Oakridge Centre property redevelopment (Oakridge Centre Redevelopment or Oakridge Park) in Vancouver, B.C.;

C.      Oakridge Energy is a limited partnership of entities within the Corix Group of Companies and the Creative Energy group, established to meet the thermal energy needs of the Oakridge Centre Redevelopment;

D.      In the Application, Oakridge Energy requests, among other things, approval of the utility’s cost allocation and rate design for heating and cooling services, resulting in the following rates for the period July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026 (Test Period):

                  (i)            Levelized heating capacity charges ($/kilowatt (kW)/month) to recover the capacity (nonenergy) costs for heating service (Heating Capacity Charge) as follows:

•         $23.66/kW/month, effective July 1, 2024;

•         $24.13/kW/month, effective January 1, 2025; and

•         $24.61/kW/month, effective January 1, 2026;

                (ii)            Levelized cooling capacity charges ($/kW)/month) to recover the capacity costs for cooling service (Cooling Capacity Charge) as follows:

•         $23.00/kW/month, effective July 1, 2024;

•         $23.46/kW/month, effective January 1, 2025; and

•         $23.93/kW/month, effective January 1, 2026; and

               (iii)            Variable energy charges ($/kilowatt-hour (kWh)) to recover commodity-related energy supply costs for heating (Heating Energy Charge) and cooling (Cooling Energy Charge) services of $0.061/kWh and $0.135/kWh, respectively, effective July 1, 2024;

E.       Oakridge Energy also requests approval to establish the Oakridge Energy tariff (Tariff) containing the definitions, terms and conditions, rate schedule, and standard fees and charges schedule for the utility, as set out in Appendix C of the Application:

F.       By Order G-169-24 dated June 21, 2024, the BCUC approved rates for heating and cooling service pursuant to the Tariff set out in Appendix C of the Application, effective July 1, 2024, on an interim and refundable or recoverable basis, and established a regulatory timetable for the review of the Application. The regulatory timetable provided for, among other items, intervener registration and two timetable avenues following Oakridge Energy’s responses to information request (IR) No. 1 to proceed to either IR No. 2 or final arguments;

G.      No interveners registered to participate in the proceeding by the deadline as set out in the regulatory timetable and on August 29, 2024, Oakridge Energy filed its responses to IR No. 1; and

H.      The BCUC has reviewed Oakridge Energy’s responses to IR No. 1 and determines that an amendment to the regulatory timetable is warranted.

 

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC amends the regulatory timetable as set out in Appendix A to this order.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this      9^th         day of September 2024.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

E. B. Lockhart

Commissioner

 

 

Attachment

Oakridge Energy Limited Partnership

Oakridge Energy District Energy System 2024 to 2026 Revenue Requirements and Rates