Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-18-16

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Panel Chair/Commissioner

N. E. MacMurchy, Commissioner

H. G. Harowitz, Commissioner

on August 15, 2016

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On November 13, 2015, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed the W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project application and statement of capital expenditures with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) under section 44.2(1)(b) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), requesting acceptance pursuant to section 44.2(3)(a) of the UCA (Application);

B.      On November 24, 2015, the Commission issued Order G-182-15 establishing the preliminary Regulatory Timetable for the review of the Application that included one round of written information requests and a procedural conference;

C.      By Orders G-15-16, G-31-16 and G-54-16, the Regulatory Timetable was amended to include:

•         a second round of information requests of limited scope;

•         a submission by the Saulteau First Nation of their Traditional Use Study and a joint First Nations’ Independent Technical Report;

•         a third round of information requests limited in scope to BC Hydro’s Duty to Consult and the First Nations Consultation Process;

•         a second procedural conference; and

•         a written argument phase;

D.      The Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia, the British Columbia Old Age Pensioners Organization et al., McLeod Lake Indian Band and Saulteau First Nation registered as interveners and participated in the hearing. The Association of Major Power Customers of BC also registered as an intervener but did not actively participate;

E.       On May 27, 2016, the Commission issued Order G-78-16 approving the Application with Reasons for Decision issued on July 13, 2016;

F.       The following participants filed Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) applications with the Commission with respect to their participation in the proceeding:

G.     BC Hydro provided comments on the British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. and Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia applications by letter dated August 3, 2016, stating that it reviewed the applications and believes that they are consistent with the Commission’s PACA Guidelines;

H.      The Panel reviewed the PACA applications with regard to the criteria and rates set out in the Commission’s PACA Guidelines and the comments from BC Hydro. The Panel concludes that British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al. and Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia are entitled to full awards; and

I.        On August 11, 2016, Saulteau First Nation submitted a PACA application after the requested filing deadline and with incomplete documentation to support the application. The Commission is therefore unable to consider the Saulteau First Nation application at this time, but does not preclude a review of the Saulteau First Nation application if proper documentation is provided.

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

1.       Participant Assistance Cost Awards in the following amounts are awarded to the following participants with respect to their participation in the proceeding for the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority application for the W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project:

2.       British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority is directed to reimburse the above-noted participants for the respective awarded amounts in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this       15^th         day of August 2016.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. M. Morton

Panel Chair/Commissioner