Orders

IN THE MATTER OF

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

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Application to Amend the Electric Tariff and Open Access Transmission Tariff

S&P Dow Jones Mid-Columbia Electricity Price Indices Replacement

BEFORE:               L.F. Kelsey, Commissioner

                                C.A. Brown, Commissioner                                          September 26, 2013

                                B.A. Magnan, Commissioner

                                C. van Wermeskerken, Commissioner

O R D E R

WHEREAS:

A.      On September 9, 2013, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro), pursuant to sections 59 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:

•         In the Electric Tariff, to replace references to Mid-Columbia (Mid-C) indices published by SPDJI with references to equivalent indices published by Platts, McGraw Hill Financial (Platts) in Rate Schedules (RS) 1253, RS 1853 and TS 54;

•         In the OATT, to replace references to Mid-C indices published by SPDJI with references to equivalent indices published by Platts in RS 06, RS 09 and TS 80; and

•         In the OATT Attachments A and B, to replace references to index publishing service companies “CME Group Index Services Inc. and Dow Jones Inc.” with a generic reference to “any index publishing service firms”;

B.      In the Application, BC Hydro also requests an interim order by September 30, 2013, to allow it to utilize the Mid-C electricity price indices provided by Platts for rate calculation purposes under the Electric Tariff and OATT to be effective from September 13, 2013, until such time as the Commission renders a final decision on the Application; and

C.      The Commission has considered the request to utilize Mid-C electricity price indices provided by Platts for rate calculation purposes under the Electric Tariff and the OATT to be effective from September 13, 2013, until such time the Commission renders a final decision on the Application and considers that this request is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the Commission orders as follows:

1.    The S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (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.

2.    A written regulatory process is established to review British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority’s proposal to amend the Electric Tariff and the OATT due to the discontinuation of electricity price indices published by SPDJI.  The Regulatory Timetable is attached as Appendix A to this Order.

3.    BC Hydro must post a bulletin of this Order on its transmission website and must send a copy of this Order and the Application to all its affected OATT and Electric Tariff customers and those who received the Application by October 4, 2013.

4.    Interveners and Interested Parties must register with the Commission, in writing or by electronic submission, by Friday, October 11, 2013.  Interveners must state the nature of their interest in the proceeding and identify generally the nature of the issues they may intend to pursue during the proceeding and the nature and extent of their anticipated involvement in the review process.

5.    Interveners intending to apply for participant assistance must submit a budget estimate by Friday, October 18, 2013, consistent with the Commission’s Participant Assistance/Cost Award Guidelines and Order G-72-07.  Copies of the Guidelines are available upon request or can be downloaded from the Commission’s website at http://www.bcuc.com.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this       26^th       day of September 2013.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

L.F. Kelsey

Commissioner

Attachment

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Application to Amend the Electric Tariff and Open Access Transmission Tariff

S&P Dow Jones Mid-Columbia Electricity Price Indices Replacement

REGULATORY TIMETABLE