Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-164-19

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Nelson Hydro

2019 Rural Rate Application

BEFORE:

R. I. Mason, Panel Chair

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

on July 26, 2019

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On March 8, 2019, Nelson Hydro filed an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for approval of a 2.94 percent general rate increase to all rural customer classes, effective April 1, 2019 (Application);

B.      Nelson Hydro is owned and operated by the City of Nelson and is exempt from regulation under the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) to the extent it is serving customers within its municipal boundaries. Accordingly, the BCUC’s review of the Application pertains solely to Nelson Hydro’s non-municipal, or rural, ratepayers;

C.      By Order G-60-19, the BCUC approved Nelson Hydro’s requested 2.94 percent rate increase that applies to all Rural customer classes on an interim and refundable basis, effective April 1, 2019. The BCUC also established an initial regulatory timetable by Order G-70-19, which included intervener and interested party registration and one round of BCUC and intervener information requests (IRs);

D.      By Order G-111-19, the BCUC amended the regulatory timetable to add a second round of IRs with further process to be determined;

E.       By Order G-142-19, the BCUC established a further regulatory timetable which included final and reply arguments. In accordance with Order G-142-19, final and reply arguments were submitted; and

F.       The Panel has reviewed the information on the evidentiary record and considers that reopening the evidentiary record of this proceeding is warranted to allow for Panel IRs, responses to Panel IRs, and for the parties to submit final and reply arguments regarding the responses to the Panel IRs.

NOW THEREFORE pursuant to sections 60 and 77 of the Utilities Commission Act, the British Columbia Utilities Commission establishes the remainder of the regulatory timetable, attached as Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this    26^th   day of July 2019.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

R. I. Mason

Commissioner

Attachment

Nelson Hydro

2019 Rural Rate Application

*The scope of the parties’ comments in the supplementary arguments should be limited to
matters related to the response to Panel IR No. 1.