Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-323-24

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

FortisBC Energy Inc.

2023 Customer Choice Annual General Meeting

 

BEFORE:

B. A. Magnan, Panel Chair

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

W. E. Royle, Commissioner

 

on December 3, 2024

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) obtained approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) in 2006 for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the Commodity Unbundling Project for Residential Customers (Customer Choice) in accordance with the government’s 2002 energy policy, which would allow for unbundling of natural gas through gas marketing companies licensed by the BCUC (Gas Marketers);

B.      The BCUC has established Rules for Gas Marketers and a Code of Conduct for Gas Marketers, both of which have been modified from time to time. The BCUC approved the Ninth Revision (Amended) of the Code of Conduct, effective December 18, 2023, by Order A-12-23 (Code of Conduct);

C.      Article 34 of the Code of Conduct states that the Code of Conduct shall be reviewed and modified, if required, at an annual general meeting (AGM);

D.      By Order A-10-12, dated June 21, 2012, the BCUC established a process for the AGM to include FEI releasing Customer Choice program statistics annually; BCUC Staff canvassing stakeholders about program issues to be addressed, if any, at the AGM; and the BCUC determining whether an AGM proceeding is warranted for the year. The most recent AGM was the seventh AGM held on June 9, 2015;

E.       By Order G-234-24, dated August 27, 2024, the BCUC established the scope of the 2023 AGM and a regulatory timetable, including the issuance of a draft revised Code of Conduct and one round of submissions by the AGM participants. The BCUC received and reviewed submissions by Easy Energy Inc. and FEI; and

F.       The BCUC considers that an amendment to the regulatory timetable is warranted to allow the BCUC to seek and obtain additional information from FEI.

 

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        3^rd       day of December 2024.

 

BY ORDER

 

Electronically signed by

 

B. A. Magnan

Commissioner

 

Attachment

 

 

FortisBC Energy Inc.

2023 Customer Choice Annual General Meeting