Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473

and

Applications for Participant Assistance/Cost Awards

in the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority Application

to include in the Smart Metering Infrastructure Regulatory Account the Actual F2011

Smart Metering Program and Smart Grid Program Operating Costs

BEFORE:                 L.F. Kelsey, Commissioner

                                C.A. Brown, Commissioner

                                N.E. MacMurchy, Commissioner                                       September 1, 2011

                                D. Morton, Commissioner

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.    On March 11, 2011, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) for approval to include in the Smart Metering Infrastructure (SMI) Regulatory Account the actual operating costs for the SMI program that it incurred during fiscal year 2011 (F2011), forecast to be $5.8 million.  BC Hydro also sought approval to accelerate the rate of depreciation on its existing meters and to include in the SMI Regulatory Account the increased amortization in F2011 related to the accelerated depreciation of its existing meters, forecast to be $8.9 million (collectively referred to as the Application);

B.     Commission staff issued Information Requests to BC Hydro on April 7, 2011 and BC Hydro provided responses on April 29, 2011;

C.     In response to a complaint letter dated April 15, 2011 from the British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization (BCOAPO), the Commission established a public process for review of this Application through Order G‐78‐11;

D.    Registered Interveners in this proceeding included BCOAPO, B.C. Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA), Canadian Office & Professional Employees Union Local 378 (COPE), Commercial Energy Consumers Association of B.C. (CEC), Association of Major Power Consumers of B.C. (AMPC), Coalition to Reduction Electropollution (CORE), Mrs. I Leis, and Mr. and Mrs. Noble;

E.     In accordance with the regulatory timetable, Interveners issued Information Requests to BC Hydro by May 13, 2011, which BC Hydro provided responses to on May 20, 2011;

F.     The evidentiary period for this Application ended with BC Hydro’s Reply Submission on June 7, 2011;

G.    On July 4, 2011, the Commission issued Order G-115-11 approving the Application;

H.    On or around July 6, 2011, the BCOAPO, BCSEA and CEC filed applications for Participant Assistance/Cost Awards (PACA) with respect to their participation in the proceeding;

I.      By letter dated July 26, 2011, BC Hydro commented to the Commission that the funding requests made by BCOAPO, BCSEA and CEC are reasonable;

J.      In review of the contributions of each intervener, the Commission notes that BC Hydro considers approximately 25 percent of the questions submitted by BCOAPO and CEC to be out of scope.  The Commission has determined that a 5 percent reduction to the amounts requested in recognition of the out of scope activities is warranted.

K.     The Commission has reviewed the applications for cost awards with regard to the criteria and rates as set out in Order G-72-07 and has concluded that, after making changes to the amounts of funding requested, certain cost awards should be approved for participants in the proceeding;

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

1.     Participant Assistance Cost Awards shall be granted in the following amounts with respect to their participation in the BC Hydro SMI Regulatory Account F2011 Expenditures proceeding:

2.     BC Hydro is directed to reimburse BCOAPO, BCSEA and CEC for the respective amounts that have been awarded in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                  1^st                       day of September 2011.

                                                                                                                                BY ORDER

                                                                                                                             Original signed by:

                                                                                                                                D. Morton

                                                                                                                                Commissioner