Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-137-25

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Utilities Commission

Review of Renewable Natural Gas Definition and Accounting

BEFORE:

M. Jaccard, Panel Chair

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

on June 5, 2025

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On July 28, 2022 and June 13, 2023, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) issued its final reports in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Inquiry into the Acquisition of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) by Public Utilities in British Columbia (Final Reports). Among other things, in the Final Reports the BCUC concluded that, for the purposes of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation (GGRR), a public utility would be acquiring RNG if:

•         biomethane is acquired with its associated environmental attributes; or

•         conventional natural gas (i.e., fossil gas) is acquired along with an appropriate quantum of transferable environmental attributes arising from the production of biomethane elsewhere;

B.      Since issuance of the Final Reports, questions have arisen respecting the transfer and potential double-counting of the environmental attributes associated with RNG purchased from projects located outside of British Columbia; and

C.      The BCUC considers that establishing an inquiry to examine the BCUC’s definition of RNG and the sufficiency of mechanisms for ensuring that greenhouse gas emissions associated with biomethane purchased from projects located outside of British Columbia are properly accounted for is warranted. This includes consideration of whether further acquisitions of out-of-province biomethane are consistent with the requirements of the GGRR.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       A regulatory timetable is established, as set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       In accordance with the BCUC Rules of Practice and Procedure (Rules), parties who wish to actively participate in the Inquiry must complete a Request to Intervene Form, available on the Get Involved in a Proceeding section of the BCUC's website at https://www.bcuc.com/GetInvolved/GetInvolvedProceeding  by July 8, 2025.

3.       Parties who intend to apply for Participant Cost Award (PCA) funding must provide a PCA cost estimate with their Request to Intervene. The PCA cost estimate must be sufficiently detailed to provide the BCUC with a reasonable understanding of the parties’ anticipated costs and note the expected cost and nature of any intervener evidence that the party is considering.

4.       Interveners may make submissions on the questions set out in Appendix B by August 27, 2025.

5.       In accordance with the Rules, any party wishing to provide comments is invited to submit a Letter of Comment by November 10, 2025. Letters of comment must be in the Letter of Comment Form available on the BCUC’s website at https://www.bcuc.com/Forms/LetterOfComment.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this       5^th      day of June 2025.

BY ORDER

Electronically signed by Mark Jaccard

M. Jaccard

Commissioner

Attachment

British Columbia Utilities Commission

Review of Renewable Natural Gas Definition and Accounting

British Columbia Utilities Commission

Review of Renewable Natural Gas Definition and Accounting

1.       Is the BCUC’s current definition of RNG, which captures biomethane produced inside BC as well as outside of BC, consistent with the intent of the GGRR?

a.       If amendments to the definition of RNG are required, what amendments would be appropriate and what purpose would the amendments serve?

b.       Are the existing compliance requirements sufficient to protect against the double-counting of environmental attributes in BC and in other jurisdictions? For example, is there sufficient evidence that when fossil gas, with an attached environmental attribute from biomethane produced elsewhere, is burned in BC the emissions associated with that fossil gas are added to the total GHG emissions in the other jurisdiction?

c.       If not, what amendments to the existing compliance requirements or changes to approach would be appropriate?

2.       Do you believe that there are any other matters that should be considered in relation to out-of-province environmental attributes? If so, please describe.