Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-22-19

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Utilities Commission

An Inquiry into the Regulation of Electric Vehicle Charging Service – Phase 2

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

BEFORE:

D. M. Morton, Panel Chair

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

on September 23, 2019

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      By Order G-10-18 dated January 12, 2018, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) established an inquiry into the regulation of electric vehicle charging service (Inquiry) pursuant to section 82 of the Utilities Commission Act;

B.      On November 26, 2018, the BCUC issued the Phase 1 Report for the Inquiry. In the Phase 1 Report, the Panel provided a set of questions for intervener evidence and submissions in Phase 2;

C.      By Order G-231-18 dated December 6, 2018, the BCUC initiated Phase 2 of the Inquiry and established a regulatory timetable which provided for registration of new interveners and included one round of written intervener evidence on Phase 2 scoped items. In addition to the Phase 1 interveners, four new interveners registered for Phase 2;

D.      By January 28, 2019, the BCUC received submissions from interveners on the Phase 2 scoped items;

E.       On February 27, 2019, pursuant to Order G-27-19 dated February 8, 2019, the BCUC held a procedural conference for submissions by the interveners to consider further process in Phase 2 of the Inquiry;

F.       By Order G-50-19 dated March 6, 2019, the BCUC issued a revised scope and procedural timetable for Phase 2 based on submissions made at the procedural conference;

G.     On March 28, 2019, final arguments were submitted, followed by reply arguments on April 10, 2019;

H.      By letter dated April 26, 2019, the BCUC invited registered interveners to supply supplementary submissions to their final and reply arguments, and responses were received by the deadline of May 3, 2019;

I.        On June 24, 2019, the BCUC issued the Phase 2 Report for the Inquiry;

J.        On August 8, 2019, the BCUC issued Order F-20-19 awarding the following interveners for their respective participation in Phase 2 of the Inquiry:

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

L.       By letters dated August 20, 2019 and September 16, 2019, FortisBC Inc. (FBC) provided its comments on the PACA applications. British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) provided its comments on August 26, 2019 and September 13, 2019;

M.    The BCUC has reviewed the PACA applications referenced in Recital K in accordance with the criteria and rates set out in the PACA Guidelines, attached to Order G-97-17, and makes the following determinations.

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

1.       BC Hydro and FBC are directed to reimburse the participants for the awarded amount in directive #2 in a timely manner. Based on customer accounts, the allocation between BC Hydro and FBC is 94 percent and
6 percent, respectively.

2.       Funding is awarded to the following interveners in the listed amounts for their participation in Phase 2 of the Inquiry:

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this    23^rd       day of September 2019.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

D. M. Morton

Commissioner