Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-243-25

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District

Exemption under Section 88(3) of the Utilities Commission Act

BEFORE:

E. A. Brown, Commissioner 

on October 9, 2025

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On September 9, 2025, the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) pursuant to section 88(3) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) seeking approval for exemption from Part 3 of the UCA, in respect of its planned project (Project) to recover waste heat from its domestic solid waste disposal facility in Burnaby, BC and deliver thermal energy to the City of Burnaby, for use in the city’s planned district energy utility systems primarily in the Edmonds and Metrotown neighborhoods (Application);

B.      On July 16, 2025, GVS&DD and the City of Burnaby entered into a Thermal Energy Sale and Purchase Agreement (Burnaby TESPA) under which GVS&DD will provide and transport thermal energy recovered at its Waste-to-Energy Facility to future energy centres in the City of Burnaby via additions to GVS&DD’s hot water distribution piping network;

C.      GVS&DD will fall within the definition of a “public utility” under the UCA as a result of undertaking the Project and selling thermal energy to the City of Burnaby;

D.      GVS&DD requests that the BCUC keep the unredacted version of the Burnaby TESPA confidential indefinitely in accordance with Part IV of the BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure; and

E.        The BCUC determines that the establishment of a public hearing process to review the Application is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

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

2.       GVS&DD is directed to publish the public notice attached as Appendix B and a copy of this order on its website by no later than October 16, 2025.

3.       GVS&DD is directed, as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than October 16, 2025, to provide a copy of this order, the attached public notice and the Application, electronically where possible, to the City of Burnaby, potentially affected First Nations, British Columbia Hydro Power and Authority (BC Hydro), and any other potentially affected parties.

4.       GVS&DD is directed to provide written confirmation of compliance with the notice requirements set out in Directives 2 and 3 above to the BCUC, including a list of all parties notified, by no later than October 21, 2025.

5.       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.

6.       The unredacted version of the Burnaby TESPA will be kept confidential unless the BCUC determines otherwise. 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this      9^th       day of October 2025.

BY ORDER

Electronically signed by Elizabeth A. (Lisa) Brown

E. A. Brown

Commissioner

Attachment

 Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District Exemption

 under Section 88(3) of the Utilities Commission Act

Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District Exemption
under Section 88(3) of the Utilities Commission Act

On September 9, 2025, the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission pursuant to section 88(3) of the Utilities Commission Act seeking approval for exemption from Part 3 of the UCA, in respect of its planned project to recover waste heat from its domestic solid waste disposal facility in Burnaby, BC and deliver thermal energy to the City of Burnaby for use in the city’s planned district energy utility systems primarily in its Edmonds and Metrotown neighborhoods.

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Please visit the proceeding page on bcuc.com under “Our Work” to learn more.