Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-36-18

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District

Application for an Exemption from Part 3 of the Utilities Commission Act

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Commissioner/Panel Chair

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

February 14, 2018

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On June 14, 2017, Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) for an exemption pursuant to section 88(3) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) with respect of GVS&DD’s planned project to recover the thermal properties of sewage and provide the heat energy to the Lonsdale Energy Corporation (LEC) municipal district energy system (Application);

B.      GVS&DD is building a new North Shore wastewater treatment plant (the North Shore WWTP) in the District of North Vancouver to replace the existing Lions Gate plant. GVS&DD is considering to install equipment at the North Shore WWTP to recover heat from treated effluent and supply this heat to the LEC district energy system via hot water supply and return pipelines;

C.      In accordance with section 1 of the UCA, GVS&DD will fall within the definition of “public utility” should they engage in the supply and sale of heat energy to the LEC;

D.      Section 88(3) of the UCA states: “The commission may, on conditions it considers advisable, with the advance approval of the minister responsible for the administration of the Hydro and Power Authority Act, exempt a person, equipment or facilities from the application of all or any of the provisions of this Act or may limit or vary the application of this Act”;

E.       The LEC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the City of North Vancouver and operates a district energy system that services certain buildings in the City of North Vancouver. Currently, the LEC district energy system heats water using a combination of high efficiency condensing natural gas boilers, ground source heat pumps, heat recovery from building cooling, and solar thermal panels. Heat from the North Shore WWTP would be an additional source of energy for LEC;

F.       The Commission finds it to be warranted and in the public interest to initiate a proceeding to consider whether an exemption under section 88(3) of the UCA is appropriate.

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to sections 82 and 88(3) of the UCA, the Commission orders as follows:

1.       A proceeding is initiated to consider an exemption pursuant to sections 88(3) of the Utilities Commission Act exempting the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD) from Part 3 of the UCA with respect to the construction and operation of heat recovery equipment at the GVS&DD’s North Shore Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) and the supply and sale of recovered heat energy to the Lonsdale Energy Corporation (LEC).

2.       GVS&DD is to publish in display-ad format, as soon as reasonably possible but no later than February, 23 2018, the Notice of Application attached as Appendix B to this order, in the North Shore News, as may properly provide adequate notice to the public in the affected service area. The Notice of Application should also be made available on the GVS&DD’s website as well as LEC’s website.

3.    Members of the public are invited to provide letters of comment on the Commission’s consideration for an exemption pursuant to sections 88(3) of the UCA to the Commission by the date established in the regulatory timetable attached as Appendix A to this order. Letters of comment must be in the Letter of Comment Form available on the Commission’s website at http://www.bcuc.com/forms/letter-of-comment.aspx and submitted through the Commission’s website or by email to commission.secretary@bcuc.com or by mail, courier or personal delivery to the British Columbia Utilities Commission, Suite 410, 900 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2N3.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this        14^th         day of February 2018.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. M. Morton

Commissioner

Attachments

Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District

Application for an Exemption from Part 3 of the Utilities Commission Act

On June 14, 2017, Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD) filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) for an exemption pursuant to section 88(3) of the Utilities Commission Act with respect of GVS&DD’s planned project to recover the thermal properties of sewage and provide the heat energy to the Lonsdale Energy Corporation (LEC) municipal district energy system (Application).

The requested exemption would exempt the entity from complying with Part 3 of the Utilities Commission Act with respect to the supply and sale of heat energy to LEC.

The Commission would like to seek comments from the public on the Application for the requested exemption.