IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, Chapter 473
and
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Electric Tariff and Open Access Transmission Tariff
S&P Dow Jones Mid-Columbia Electricity Price Indices Replacement
BEFORE: L. F. Kelsey, Commissioner
D. M. Morton, Commissioner
N. E. MacMurchy, Commissioner
C. A. Brown, Commissioner December 12, 2013
R. D. Revel, Commissioner
B. A. Magnan, Commissioner
O R D E R
WHEREAS:
A. On September 9, 2013, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro), pursuant to sections 58 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act, submitted an application (Application) to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) for approval to amend the Electric Tariff and the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) due to the discontinuation of electricity price indices published by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (SPDJI) that are referenced in the Electric Tariff and the OATT. The proposed amendments include:
• Replacing references to Mid-Columbia (Mid-C) indices published by SPDJI with references to equivalent indices published by Platts, McGraw Hill Financial (Platts) in Rate Schedule (RS) 1253, RS 1853 and Tariff Supplement (TS) 54 of the Electric Tariff;
• Replacing references to Mid‑C indices published by SPDJI with references to indices published by Platts in RS 06, RS 09 and TS 80 of the OATT; and
• Replacing references to index publishing service companies “CME Group Index Services Inc. and Dow Jones Inc.” with a generic reference to “any index publishing services firms” in Attachments A and B of the OATT;
B. On September 26, 2013, by Order G-156-13, the Commission ordered that the SPDJI Mid-C electricity price indices be replaced by the applicable Platts Mid-C electricity price indices in the Electric Tariff and the OATT rate calculations, effective September 13, 2013, on an interim basis, until such time as the Commission renders a final decision on the Application, and that a written regulatory process be established to review BC Hydro’s proposal to amend the Electric Tariff and the OATT due to the discontinuation of electricity price indices published by SPDJI. On October 11, 2013, Powerex Corp. registered as an Intervener. No other parties registered as Interveners, nor as Interested Parties; and
C. The Commission has reviewed the Application and responses to Commission Information Request No. 1 and finds approval of the Application is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE pursuant to sections 58-61 of the Utilities Commission Act the Commission, orders as follows:
1. The amendments to the Electric Tariff and the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), effective September 13, 2013, as described in British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority’s (BC Hydro) Application dated September 9, 2013, are approved.
2. BC Hydro must post a bulletin of this Order on its transmission website and must send a copy of this Order and Application to all its affected OATT and Electric Tariff customers and those who received the Application within 30 days.
3. BC Hydro must file the amended pages of the OATT and Electric Tariff with the Commission, in accordance with the terms of this Order, within 30 days.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 12th day of December 2013.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D.M. Morton
Commissioner