ORDER NUMBER
G-50-17
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
F2017 to F2019 Revenue Requirements Application
BEFORE:
D. M. Morton, Commissioner / Panel Chair
D. J. Enns, Commissioner
K. A. Keilty, Commissioner
on March 30, 2017
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On July 28, 2016, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed its Fiscal 2017 to Fiscal 2019 Revenue Requirements Application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) requesting, among other things, final approval to increase rates by an average of 4.0 percent effective April 1, 2016, 3.5 percent effective April 1, 2017 and 3.0 percent effective April 1, 2018 (Application);
B. By Order G-130-16A dated August 9, 2016 and Order G-144-16 dated September 7, 2016, the Commission established regulatory timetable for the review of the Application;
C. By Order G-7-17 dated January 20, 2017, the Commission ordered the review of the Application to be heard through a written hearing process and established a regulatory timetable setting out an option for BC Hydro to file rebuttal evidence and an option without consideration of rebuttal evidence;
D. By Order G-20-17, on February 17, 2017, the Commission amended certain dates for the review of the Application established by Order G-7-17 in response to a request made by the Association of Major Power Customers;
E. On March 6, 2017, BC Hydro informed the Commission that it plans to file rebuttal evidence in accordance with the regulatory timetable set out in Order G-20-17;
F. On March 2, 2017, BC Hydro publically notified its employees that its contract with Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership (Accenture) for certain aspects of customer services, human resources, finance, office services and temporary work would not be renewed and will therefore terminate on April 30, 2018; and
G. By letter dated March 10, 2017 and corrected on March 13, 2017, BC Hydro notified the Commission of the issuance of Order In Council (OIC) No. 100 to the Commission and OIC No. 101 which amended the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Clean Energy) Regulation on March 1, 2017.
NOW THEREFORE, the British Columbia Utilities Commission orders the following:
1. On April 5, 2017, in conjunction with the date for filing rebuttal evidence pursuant to Order G-20-17, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) is to provide information regarding the termination of the Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership (Accenture) contract and the impact, if any, to the calculation of the revenue requirements and the forecast additions to the regulatory accounts.
2. In accordance with the dates for information requests (IRs) on rebuttal evidence set out in Order G-20-17, interveners are permitted to ask BC Hydro IRs on the following:
a. the information filed by BC Hydro regarding the termination of the Accenture contract and the impacts, if any, on the Fiscal 2017 to Fiscal 2019 Revenue Requirements Application; and
b. the information filed in BC Hydro’s March 10, 2017 and March 13, 2017 letters and the attached Order in Council No. 100 and No. 101 (Exhibits B-18 and B-18-1).
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 30th day of March 2017.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D. M. Morton
Commissioner