Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-2-19

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

FortisBC Inc.

Annual Review for 2019 Rates

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

BEFORE:

R. I. Mason, Panel Chair/Commissioner

D. J. Enns, Commissioner

on January 16, 2019

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      By Order G-142-18 dated July 31, 2018, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) established a regulatory timetable for the annual review of FortisBC Inc.’s (FBC) 2019 rates, which included the anticipated date for FBC to file its annual review materials, the deadline for intervener registration, one round of information requests, a workshop, FBC’s response to undertakings requested at the workshop and written final and reply arguments;

B.      On August 10, 2018, FBC submitted its Annual Review for 2019 Rates Application materials (Application) and on October 3, 2018, FBC submitted an evidentiary update to the Application (Evidentiary Update), seeking approval to, among other things, maintain 2019 rates at existing levels, pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act;

C.      By Order G-209-18 dated November 5, 2018, the BCUC approved FBC’s application to set its existing rates for all customer classes as  interim and refundable/recoverable, effective January 1, 2019;

D.      By Order G-246-18 dated December 19, 2018, the BCUC directed, among other things, that FBC’s current rates, which were approved as interim by Order G-209-18, remain interim and refundable/recoverable until the completion of the proceeding for FBC’s Application for Acceptance of Demand Side Management (DSM) Expenditures for the 2019 to 2022 period (2019–2022 DSM Application);

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

F.       By letter dated January 8, 2019, FBC provided its comments on the PACA applications, stating that if the BCUC is satisfied that the participants have met the eligibility requirements, that the funding days claimed are appropriate and that the level of participation has met with the BCUC’s criteria and requirements, then FBC has no further comment; and

G.      The BCUC has reviewed the PACA applications in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines, attached to BCUC Order G-97-17, and concludes that the cost awards should be approved.

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

1.       Funding is awarded to the following interveners in the listed amounts for their participation in the FBC Annual Review for 2019 Rates proceeding:

2.       FBC is directed to reimburse the above-noted participants for the awarded amount in a timely manner.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this              16^th              day of January 2019.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

R. I. Mason

Commissioner