ORDER NUMBER
G-232-25
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.
Western Transmission System Reactivation and Recommissioning Project
Variance of Order C-5-21
BEFORE:
E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner
B. A. Magnan, Commissioner
W. E. Royle, Commissioner
on September 24, 2025
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On October 17, 2023, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) issued Letter L‐46‐23, amending the BCUC’s Public Utility Annual Reporting Requirements. In Letter L-46-23, the BCUC invited public utilities to seek a review of specific filing requirements that are either burdensome or of diminished relevance;
B. On August 6, 2025, Pacific Northern Gas Ltd. (PNG) filed Semi-annual Progress Report No. 7 (Filing) with the BCUC, for the period January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025, in compliance with Decision and Order C-5-21 regarding the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the Western Transmission System Reactivation and Recommissioning Project (the Project). In the Filing, PNG requests that the requirement for semi-annual progress reporting be paused, as the Project is indefinitely paused. PNG states that reporting should be reinstated when developments regarding prospective replacement shippers and the associated flow-through impacts on project reactivation are certain;
C. On November 30, 2021, the BCUC issued its Decision and Order C-5-21 approving the application by PNG for a CPCN for the Project. The purpose of the Project is to reactivate and recommission existing pipeline and compression assets as well as to construct new pipeline and compression assets on the PNG Western Transmission Gas System that are necessary to meet the demand of two new large industrial customers, Port Edward LNG Ltd. (Port Edward LNG) and Top Speed Energy Canada Holding Ltd. (Top Speed Energy);
D. In Decision and Order C-5-21, given the magnitude of the Project and the extended timeline for its implementation, among other things, the BCUC directed PNG to provide regular semi-annual progress reporting to the BCUC for the duration of the Project;
E. On October 13, 2021, PNG filed a letter with the BCUC which advised that agreements with Top Speed Energy were terminated as its major shareholder has made the decision to divest all of the company’s works, permits and commercial arrangements, following the death of Top Speed Energy’s founder;
F. On July 31, 2023, PNG filed Material Change Report No. 3 which advised that PNG had terminated contractual arrangements with Port Edward LNG effective June 27, 2023, the only remaining RS 80 customer with contracted capacity;
G. Since June 27, 2023, the semi-annual progress reports have confirmed the Project is indefinitely paused. Semi-annual Progress Reports No. 6 and No. 7 contain no updates on prospective new large industrial customers; and
H. The BCUC has reviewed the Filing and finds that the following determinations are warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to section 99 of the Utilities Commission Act, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. The reporting directive on pages 40 and 41 of the Decision to Order C-5-21 is varied to read as follows:
Semi-annual Progress Reports on the Project
[…]
PNG must file semi-annual progress reports within 30 days of the end of each semi-annual reporting period, with the first report covering the period ending June 30, 2022. PNG is not required to file semi-annual progress reports during reporting periods where there is no update or change to the Project.
2. PNG is directed to notify the BCUC promptly the first time that work on the Project is undertaken or anticipated.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 24th day of September 2025
BY ORDER
Electronically signed by Blair Lockhart
E. B. Lockhart
Commissioner