Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-20-25

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Mandatory Reliability Standards Planning Coordinator Assessment Report

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

 

BEFORE:

A. K. Fung, KC, Commissioner

 

on August 22, 2025

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On May 31, 2021, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) submitted to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) a Mandatory Reliability Standards (MRS) Planning Coordinator Assessment Report (PC Assessment Report) assessing reliability standards related to the Planning Coordinator (PC) function. On June 25, 2021, BC Hydro filed its plan for implementation of the PC function (Implementation Approach);

B.      By Orders R-15-21, R-17-21, R-20-21, and R-24-21, the BCUC established, amended, and furthered a regulatory timetable for the review of BC Hydro’s PC Assessment Report and Implementation Approach, which included, among other things, intervener registration and two rounds of written submissions (PC Assessment Report Proceeding);

C.      The Residential Consumer Intervener Association (RCIA), FortisBC Inc.  and the British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization, Active Support Against Poverty, Disability Alliance BC, Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC, and Tenants Resource and Advisory Centre registered as interveners in the PC Assessment Report Proceeding;

D.      By Order R-4-22, the BCUC temporarily adjourned the proceeding and recommended the BCUC initiate a separate proceeding to review issues raised by interveners in the PC Assessment Report Proceeding;

E.       By Orders R-24-24 and R-3-25, the BCUC established and furthered a regulatory timetable reinitiating the PC Assessment Report Proceeding, which included BC Hydro’s filing of an updated PC Assessment Report and opportunity for the submission of letters of comment;

F.       By Order R-6-25 dated June 16, 2025, the BCUC made various determinations including approval to adopt the reliability standards related to the PC as recommended in BC Hydro’s updated PC Assessment Report;

 

G.      Only the following participant filed a Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) application with the BCUC with respect to its participation in the PC Assessment Report Proceeding:

H.      By letter dated August 1, 2025, BC Hydro provided its comments on RCIA’s application stating that it believes RCIA is eligible for a cost award, that the award sought is proportionate to RCIA’s involvement, and that it has no objection to RCIA receiving the cost award that it has requested. No filings were submitted by RCIA in response to BC Hydro’s comments; and

I.         The BCUC has reviewed the PACA application in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines, attached to Order G-97-17, and makes the following determinations.

 

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 118(1) of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       PACA costs are awarded to the following intervener in the listed amount for its participation in the PC Assessment Report Proceeding:

2.       BC Hydro is directed to pay the amount set out in Directive 1 of this order to RCIA, on a timely basis.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this             22^nd               day of August 2025.

 

BY ORDER

 

Electronically signed by Anna Fung

 

A. K. Fung, KC

Commissioner