Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-290-19

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI)

Revelstoke Propane Portfolio Cost Amalgamation Application

 

BEFORE:

T. A. Loski, Panel Chair

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

R. D. Revel, Commissioner

 

on November 18, 2019

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On July 18, 2019, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for approval to amalgamate the Revelstoke propane supply costs with the FEI midstream natural gas supply resource costs in the Midstream Cost Reconciliation Account (MCRA) and to implement a revised propane gas cost rate setting mechanism, pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) effective January 1, 2020 (Application);

B.      The Application also seeks approval of minor amendments to FEI’s Rate Schedules (RS) 1 to 7 regarding references to Revelstoke in rate rider 1 and rate rider 6 where applicable;

C.      In the Application, FEI states that the proposed rate setting mechanism will provide Revelstoke customers with propane rate stability that matches the stability of FEI’s natural gas customer rates and can provide propane commodity rate relief to Revelstoke customers;

D.      By Order G-201-19 dated August 27, 2019, the BCUC established a written hearing process and regulatory timetable to review the Application. The timetable included intervener registration, one round of information requests (IR) and further process to be determined;

E.       Canadian Biomass Energy Research Ltd., Bigg Eddy Fuel Services Ltd., City of Revelstoke, Downie Timber Ltd., Cryopeak LNG Solutions, British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization et al., Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia, BC Sustainable Energy Association and Clean Energy Fueling Services Corp. registered as interveners; and

F.       The BCUC has reviewed FEI’s responses to IR No. 1 and considers that a further regulatory timetable is warranted.

 

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders the following:

 

1.       A further regulatory timetable for the review of the Application is established, as set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       Interveners must submit their intent to file Intervener Evidence by Thursday, January 16, 2020, as set out in the regulatory timetable attached as Appendix A to this order. Interveners intending to file Intervener Evidence must indicate the nature of the evidence and the timing of when the evidence would be filed. Further information on Intervener Evidence is attached as Appendix B to this order.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this   18^th     day of November 2019.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

T. A. Loski

Commissioner

 

 

Attachments

 

 

FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI)

Revelstoke Propane Portfolio Cost Amalgamation Application

 

 

 

 

 

 

FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI)

Revelstoke Propane Portfolio Cost Amalgamation Application

 

 

Interveners in proceedings before the BCUC may be given the opportunity to file their own evidence regarding the application. This is an opportunity for interveners to potentially present an alternative position to the matter that is being dealt with in the application. Evidence can take many forms, including witness statements (written, in person) and written documents.

 

If the BCUC permits interveners to present evidence, the BCUC, the applicant and all other registered interveners have an opportunity to examine the intervener evidence through information requests and/or
cross-examination.

 

If interveners file evidence in the proceeding, the applicant has the opportunity to file evidence to rebut the intervener evidence. The rebuttal evidence may also be subject to information requests and/or cross-examination.

 

For any questions on intervener evidence or to learn more about the evidence filing process, please contact Patrick Wruck, Commission Secretary, by email at Commission.Secretary@bcuc.com or by phone at 604.660.4700.