Orders

 

ORDER NUMBER

F-35-24

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

FortisBC Inc.

Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

for the Fruitvale Substation Project

 

Participant Cost Award Application

 

BEFORE:

M. Jaccard, Panel Chair

A. C. Dennier, Commissioner

 

on October 16, 2024

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On February 29, 2024, pursuant to sections 41, 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), FortisBC Inc. (FBC) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the Fruitvale Substation Project (Application);

B.      By Order G-97-24, dated March 28, 2024, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable for the review of the Application, which included one round of information requests, among other things. By Order G-159-24, dated June 12, 2024, the BCUC established a further regulatory timetable including final and reply arguments;

C.      British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. (BCOAPO); Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (the CEC); Industrial Customers Group (ICG); Residential Consumer Intervener Association (RCIA); and Vivian Lenardon registered as interveners in this proceeding;

D.      By Order C-4-24, dated September 4, 2024, the BCUC granted a CPCN to FBC for the Fruitvale Substation Project;

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

 

F.       By letter dated October 2, 2024, FBC provided its comments on the PCA applications, stating that it has reviewed the PCA applications and has no further comment, provided that the BCUC is satisfied that the participants have met the eligibility requirements and deems that the time and amounts claimed for participation are reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances of the proceeding, as set out in the BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure; and

G.      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, attached to Order G-72-23, and determines that the PCA applications should be approved in their entirety.

 

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to section 118 of the UCA, the BCUC orders as follows:

 

1.       Costs are awarded to the following participants in the listed amounts for their participation in FBC’s application for a CPCN for the Fruitvale Substation Project proceeding:

 

2.       FBC is directed to reimburse the above-noted participants for the awarded amount in a timely manner.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this    16^th     day of October 2024.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

M. Jaccard

Commissioner