ROBERT J. PELLATT
COMMISSION SECRETARY
Commission.Secretary@bcuc.com
web site: http://www.bcuc.com
VIA E-MAIL
Mr. Scott Thomson
Vice President, Finance and Regulatory Affairs
Terasen Gas Inc.
Terasen Gas (Vancouver Island) Inc.
16705 Fraser Highway
Surrey, B.C. V3S 2X7
regulatory.affairs@terasengas.com
Mr. C.P. Donohue
Director, Regulatory Affairs & Gas Supply
Pacific Northern Gas Ltd.
950 - 1185 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6E 4E6
cdonohue@png.ca
Dear Sirs:
Re: Return on Common Equity for a
Low-Risk Benchmark Utility for the Year 2007
Pursuant to the Commission’s Decision dated June 10, 1994 regarding Return on Common Equity and Order
No. G-35-94, and as amended by Order No. G-80-99, Order No. G-109-01 and Order No. G-14-06, the
Commission has determined that the current ROE automatic adjustment mechanism results in an allowed return
on common equity of 8.37 percent for a low-risk benchmark utility in 2007. The calculation and other
documentation in support of this finding are attached.
The appropriate ROE in 2007 for individual utilities will incorporate the risk premium for each utility relative to
the low-risk benchmark.
RG/cms
Attachment
MisCor/L-75-06_2007 ROE to Utilities
LETTER NO. L-75-06
SIXTH FLOOR, 900 HOWE STREET, BOX 250
VANCOUVER, B.C. CANADA V6Z 2N3
TELEPHONE: (604) 660-4700
BC TOLL FREE: 1-800-663-1385
FACSIMILE: (604) 660-1102
November 23, 2006
Mr. David Bennett
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
FortisBC Inc.
5th Floor
1628 Dixon Avenue
Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 9X1
david.bennett@fortisbc.com
regulatory@fortisbc.com
Yours truly,
Original signed by:
Robert J. Pellatt
2
cc:
Mr. R. Brian Wallace
Bull, Housser & Tupper
rbw@bht.com
Ms. Joanna Sofield
Chief Regulatory Officer
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
regulatory.group@bchydro.com
Mr. Marcel Reghelini
Director, Regulatory Affairs
British Columbia Transmission Corporation
marcel.reghelini@bctc.com
bctc.regulatory@bctc.com
Mr. Jim Quail
Executive Director
The British Columbia Public Interest Advocacy Centre
support@bcpiac.com
LETTER NO. L-75-06
BCUC Regulated Utilities
glenn.laufer@corix.com
silversmith@netidea.com
mvalcourt@bigwhite.com
jsereda@calgasinc.com
david@portalicegas.com
stargas@shaw.ca
utilities@sunpeaksresort.com
chdl@telus.net
Fax to:
Yukon Electrical Company Limited
867-668-3965
ATTACHMENT TO LETTER NO. L-75-06
Calculation of Allowed 2007 Rate of Return on Common Equity
For A Low-Risk Benchmark Utility
(Per Commission Order No. G-35-94,
Amended by Order No. G-80-99, Order No. G-109-01 and Order No. G-14-06)
A forecast of long-term Canada bonds is developed based on the Consensus Economics forecast of 10-year bonds
(step 1) and the observed spread between 10- and 30-year bonds over a defined period (step 2). This establishes
a forecast yield for long Canada bonds (step 3).
1.
Ten Year Canada Bond Yield – end of February, 2007
4.1%
(Consensus Economics, November 2006 Consensus Forecast)
Ten Year Canada Bond Yield – end of November, 2007
4.2%
(Consensus Economics, November 2006 Consensus Forecast)
Average of 3 and 12 Month Forecasts
4.15%
2.
Add average yield spread between 10-year and 30-year bonds as
0.069%
reported in the Financial Post for all trading days in October, 2006.
3.
Equals forecast yield on long-term Canada bonds
4.219%
As per Commission Order No. G-14-06, the approved benchmark return on equity (ROE) is 9.145 percent
assuming a 30-year long Canada bond yield of 5.25 percent. Where the forecast yield is greater or less than 5.25
percent, a sliding scale adjustment raises or lowers the benchmark ROE by 75 percent of the change in the
forecast yield on long-term Canada Bonds (step 4). The unrounded allowed ROE in percentage terms is rounded
to the nearest 2 decimal places (step 5).
4.
Unrounded allowed ROE based on sliding scale adjustment:
9.145 – (0.75 * (5.25 – 4.219))
8.372%
5.
Allowed ROE
8.37%
You are being directed to the most recent version of the statute which may not be the version considered at the time of the judgment.