ORDER NUMBER
G-49-26
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
FortisBC Energy Inc.
Permanent Rates and Amending Agreement No. 8 for
the 2025 Expansion of the Waste Connections CNG Fuelling Station in Coquitlam
BEFORE:
B. A. Magnan, Commissioner
W. E. Royle, Commissioner
on March 12, 2026
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On January 12, 2026, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), for approval of the rate design and rates established in an amending agreement dated December 17, 2025 (Amending Agreement No. 8), to the Fueling Station Licence and Use Agreement between FEI and Waste Connections of Canada Inc. (WC) (FEI-WC Agreement) on a permanent basis, effective August 1, 2025, for fuelling services from the compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelling station located at the premises of WC in Coquitlam, BC (WC Coquitlam Fuelling Station) (Application);
B. FEI requests that the live financial model filed as Appendix C to the Application be held confidential on the basis that it is the result of significant development effort by FEI on behalf of its customers and therefore, the formulas and configuration of the model are commercially sensitive;
C. FEI and WC (formerly BFI Canada Inc.) entered into the FEI-WC Agreement dated January 31, 2012, which established the terms, conditions and rates for FEI to construct and operate the WC Coquitlam Fuelling Station to provide CNG fuelling service to WC;
D. By Order C-6-12 dated April 30, 2012, the BCUC granted a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the WC Coquitlam Fuelling Station and by Order G-78-13 dated May 14, 2013, the BCUC approved the revised rate design and rates for the WC Coquitlam Fuelling Station as amended by an amending agreement dated December 31, 2013 (Amending Agreement No. 1);
E. By Order G-242-19 dated October 8, 2019 and Order G-6-20 dated January 14, 2020, respectively, the BCUC approved further amending agreements to the FEI-WC Agreement extending the expiry date of the FEI-WC Agreement to facilitate negotiation of a renewal term (Amending Agreements No. 2 and 3);
F. By Order G-110-20 dated May 7, 2020, the BCUC accepted, pursuant to section 44.2 of the UCA, the estimated capital expenditures of $182,549 for an expansion of the WC Coquitlam Fuelling Station and by Order G-377-22 dated December 20, 2022, the BCUC approved additional amendments to the FEI-WC Agreement (Amending Agreements No. 4 and 5) on a permanent basis, effective April 1, 2020. The amendments include, among other items, a renewal period to December 31, 2024 and a revised Capital Rate for the renewal period to reflect the final capital expenditures for the expansion conducted in 2020;
G. By Order G-345-24 dated December 18, 2024, the BCUC approved a further amendment (Amending Agreement No. 6), extending the expiry date of the FEI-WC Agreement to April 30, 2025 to facilitate the negotiation of another renewal term and further expansion of the WC Coquitlam Fuelling Station (2025 Expansion);
H. By Order G-128-25 dated May 27, 2025, the BCUC, among other things, accepted the estimated capital expenditures of $251,646 for the 2025 Expansion and approved the rate design and rates, as amended by Amending Agreement No. 7 on an interim and refundable/recoverable basis, effective August 1, 2025, pending the determination of the actual capital expenditures of the 2025 Expansion;
I. On December 17, 2025, FEI entered into Amending Agreement No. 8, which revises the Capital Rate to reflect the actual capital expenditure of $202,016 for the 2025 Expansion, effective August 1, 2025; and
J. The BCUC has reviewed the Application and considers that the following determinations are warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the UCA, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. The rate design and rates established in the FEI-WC Agreement, as amended by Amending Agreements No. 1 to No. 8, are approved on a permanent basis, effective August 1, 2025.
2. FEI is directed to refund to WC the variance between the interim and permanent rates with interest calculated at the average prime rate of FEI’s principal bank for its most recent year.
3. FEI is to file Amending Agreement No. 8 in tariff supplement form for endorsement by the BCUC within 15 days of the date of this order.
4. Appendix C to the Application will be held confidential unless the BCUC determines otherwise.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 12th day of March 2025.
BY ORDER
Electronically signed by Bernard Magnan
B. A. Magnan
Commissioner