Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-170-25

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Waste to Energy Facility 2025 Electricity Purchase Agreement Renewal

BEFORE:

M. Jaccard, Panel Chair

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

on July 4, 2025

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On June 12, 2025, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed an application (Application) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) pursuant to section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) for acceptance of two electricity purchase agreements (EPAs) with the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD). One short-term agreement (Interim EPA), effective between March 3, 2025 and April 14, 2025, and a longer-term agreement (2025 EPA), with a contract term of April 15, 2025 to March 2, 2045;

B.      GVS&DD owns a waste-to-energy facility in South Burnaby (Facility) that has been in operation since 1988. Since 2003, the Facility has been producing electricity using heat recovery technology and BC Hydro has been purchasing the electricity under successive agreements;

C.      By letter dated June 10, 2025, Zero Waste BC made a submission to the BCUC regarding the Facility and the EPAs (Zero Waste BC Submission);

D.      By Order G-61-12 dated May 25, 2012, the BCUC approved the Rules for Energy Supply Contracts for Electricity (Rules). The Rules facilitate the BCUC’s review of energy supply contracts for electricity and proposed energy supply contracts for electricity under section 71 of UCA;

E.       The BCUC has commenced review of the Application and considers a public hearing is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       A public hearing is established for the review of the Application in accordance with the regulatory timetable set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       BC Hydro is directed to make a copy of this order and the Application available on its website for the duration of this proceeding and to provide a copy of same, electronically where possible, to the following by no later than July 14, 2025:

a.       Registered interveners in the BC Hydro Fiscal 2023 to Fiscal 2025 Revenue Requirements Application; and

b.       All First Nations within the consultative boundaries of the Facility.

3.       BC Hydro is directed to provide written confirmation to the BCUC of compliance with Directive 2 of this order, including a list of all parties notified, by no later than July 16, 2025.

4.       In accordance with BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, any party wishing to provide comments is invited to submit a Letter of Comment by the date established in the regulatory timetable. 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       4^th       day of July 2025.

BY ORDER

Electronically signed by Mark Jaccard

M. Jaccard

Commissioner

Attachment

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Waste to Energy Facility 2025 Energy Purchase Agreement Renewal