ORDER NUMBER

G-193-25

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Tariff Supplement No. 6 Application Extension Request

BEFORE:

M. Jaccard, Commissioner

On August 7, 2025

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      By Order C-1-25 dated February 12, 2025, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) granted British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the 1L243 Transmission Load Increase (Highland Valley Copper) Project, pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA);

B.      Directive 3 of Order C-1-25, directed BC Hydro to file an application with the BCUC for the review of Tariff Supplement No. 6 by no later than September 30, 2025;

C.      By letter dated July 3, 2025, BC Hydro requested an extension to the deadline to file the application for review of Tariff Supplement No. 6 to June 30, 2026;

D.      On July 11, 2025, the BCUC issued staff questions to BC Hydro. On July 25, 2025, BC Hydro submitted responses to BCUC Staff questions. BC Hydro submitted its response to BCUC Staff question 1.1.2 confidentially, explaining that details of the potential provincial government policy changes have not been released publicly (Confidential Information). Further, BC Hydro stated once the information is public, it will file a public version of the responses with the BCUC; and

E.       The BCUC has reviewed the letter and responses to BCUC staff questions, and considers that varying Directive 3 of Order C-1-25 is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to section 99 of the UCA, and for the reasons outlined in the decision accompanying this order, the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       Directive 3 in Order C-1-25 is varied to read as follows:

BC Hydro is directed to file an application with the BCUC for a review of Tariff Supplement No. 6 by no later than April 30, 2026.

2.       The Confidential Information will be kept confidential unless the BCUC determines otherwise.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this      7^th       day of August 2025.

BY ORDER

Electronically signed by Mark Jaccard

M. Jaccard

Commissioner

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Tariff Supplement No. 6 Application Extension Request

1.0              Introduction

On February 12, 2025, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) granted British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the 1L243 Transmission Load Increase (Highland Valley Copper) Project. In its decision, BC Hydro was directed to file an application with the BCUC for the review of Tariff Supplement No. 6 (TS 6) by no later than September 30, 2025.[1]

By letter dated July 3, 2025, BC Hydro requested an extension to the deadline to file its application for the review of TS 6, to June 30, 2026. BC Hydro provided the following reasons for its extension request:[2]

a.       The Government of BC is considering policy measures to promote economic development that BC Hydro expects could impact the scope and objectives of any review of TS 6; and

b.       The development of new concepts and cost allocation models requires more time to engage customers and stakeholders, in alignment with BC Hydro’s recent experience in updating its distribution extension policy.

On July 11, 2025, the BCUC issued staff questions to BC Hydro seeking further clarification about the expected government policies and BC Hydro’s activities in preparation for the filing of the application. BC Hydro submitted its responses on July 25, 2025.

1.1              Legislative Framework

Pursuant to section 99 of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC may reconsider a decision, an order, a rule or a regulation of the commission and may confirm, vary or rescind the decision, order, rule or regulation.

2.0              BC Hydro’s Extension Request  

BC Hydro states that it is aware that the Government of BC is considering policy measures related to economic development, which could include different approaches for connecting new large industrial loads, impacting the scope and objectives for a review of TS 6. BC Hydro’s submission includes a letter provided by the Government of BC, which was filed confidentially.[3]

In addition, BC Hydro provided information on the activities it has undertaken to date to review TS 6;[4]  its planned engagement activities and timelines following the release of anticipated provincial government policy changes by September 2025;[5] and identified the potential advantages and drawbacks of the postponement of the filing for BC Hydro, general ratepayers and potential industrial customers.[6] BC Hydro plans to host a series of workshops in October 2025, January 2026 and April 2026, each of which will be followed by customer working group meetings held in-person on specific topics. In May and June 2026, BC Hydro plans to summarize the engagement feedback and finalize the proposed changes.[7]

Panel Determination

For the following reasons, Directive 3 in Order C-1-25 is varied to read as follows:

BC Hydro is directed to file an application with the BCUC for the review of Tariff Supplement No. 6 by no later than April 30, 2026.

The Panel notes that new government policy affecting the development of changes to TS 6 is forthcoming, both from BC Hydro’s evidence and from the letter submitted by the Government of BC. New policy is expected by September 2025, making a deadline to file an application to review TS 6 by the end of the same month unreasonable, considering the need for engagement. BC Hydro’s evidence shows that it has been working to comply with the directive to file an application, and the Panel is convinced that absent government policy changes, BC Hydro would have complied with the September 30, 2025 filing deadline. These policy changes were not anticipated during the proceeding to review BC Hydro’s request for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the 1L243 Transmission Load Increase Project, and, therefore, represent new information warranting a reconsideration of Directive 3 in Order C-1-25.

The directive to BC Hydro to file an application for a review of TS 6 was issued in February 2025, with a filing date of September 30, 2025, a window of approximately seven months. If government policy changes are forthcoming in September 2025, the Panel concludes that a further seven months would be sufficient time to develop an application to the BCUC, including time to engage with customers on policy developments. By limiting the extension to seven months, the Panel is balancing the need for adequate engagement on new government policy with the value of quickly reducing tariff uncertainty for potential industrial customers.

The Panel acknowledges that BC Hydro has demonstrated that it has initiated its preparation and has a plan to file an application for the review of TS 6, including engagement activities following anticipated government policy changes expected in September 2025. However, the Panel is also mindful that policy developments and their timelines are always uncertain. This Panel concurs with the BCUC’s statement in Order C-1-25 on the urgency and importance of a review of TS 6, and that “the review will lend regulatory certainty to industrial customers who are considering connecting to the grid in BC Hydro’s service territory.”[8] The importance of this review within a reasonable timeframe continues to be the case. The Panel also reiterates the BCUC’s findings from Order C-1-25 that “the existing Tariff Supplement No. 6 was last reviewed and approved in 1991, more than 30 years ago, and 12 years have elapsed since the previous recommendation to review the tariff supplement in the DCCAT [Dawson Creek Chetwynd Area Transmission] decision.”[9] Therefore, the BCUC expects to commence a review of TS 6 as soon as possible and without further delay.

In order to keep the BCUC informed, the Panel encourages BC Hydro to notify the BCUC when new government policy affecting TS 6 is released.

Dated at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this        7^th        day of August 2025.

Electronically signed by Mark Jaccard

_________________________________

M. Jaccard

Commissioner