Orders

ORDER NUMBER

F-1-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

FortisBC Energy Inc.

2019-2022 Demand Side Management Industrial Expenditure Budget Transfer

Participant Assistance/Cost Award Application

BEFORE:

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

on January 8, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On January 17, 2019, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) issued its decision by way of Order
G-10-19 in the FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) Application for Acceptance of 2019-2022 Demand Side Management (DSM) Expenditures Plan proceeding, approving, among other things, FEI’s request that funding transfers follow the same process as was established in the FortisBC Energy Utilities 2012 and 2013 Revenue Requirements and Natural Gas Rates Decision;

B.      On September 18, 2019, FEI filed for approval to transfer $3.4 million into the Industrial Program Area in order to meet higher than anticipated demand, in the event that actual Industrial expenditures exceed 25 percent of planned expenditures at year-end (Application);

C.      By letter dated October 8, 2019, the BCUC invited the public to file letters of comment in respect of the Application by October 25, 2019, with further process to follow;

D.      By Order G-254-19, dated October 23, 2019, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable which provided for BCUC information requests (IRs) to FEI to be filed on October 24, 2019, letters of comments to be filed on October 25, 2019 and responses to BCUC IRs to be filed by October 30, 2019;

E.       On October 25, 2019, BC Sustainable Energy Association filed a letter confirming its support for BCUC approval of the Application;

F.       By letters dated October 25, 2019, the Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC) and the British Columbia Old Age Pensioners’ Organization, Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC, Disability Alliance BC, the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre, Active Support Against Poverty, and Together Against Poverty Society (BCOAPO) requested a delay in the filing date for letters of comment to allow parties to provide comments after review of FEI’s responses to the BCUC IRs (Extension Requests);

G.     On October 30, 2019, FEI filed its IR responses and its submission with respect to the Extension Requests;

H.      By Order G-262-19, dated October 31, 2019, the BCUC granted the Extension Requests for letters of comment, with a revised deadline of November 1, 2019;

I.        By letter dated November 1, 2019, the Commercial Energy Consumers Association submitted comments in support of FEI’s Application;

J.        By letter dated November 1, 2019, BCOAPO submitted that FEI had not adequately supported the proposed reallocation of 2019 DSM spending and that the Application should not be approved;

K.      On November 5, 2019, by Order G-273-19 with Reasons for Decision issued November 29, 2019, the BCUC approved FEI to transfer funds into the Industrial Program Area that exceed 25 percent of the total 2019 Industrial Program Area approved funding from both the Residential and Commercial Program Areas’ total 2019 approved funding, provided that the transfers of funds from the Residential and Commercial Programs Areas do not exceed 25 percent of the planned expenditures in each of those program areas for 2019.

L.       The following participant filed a Participant Assistance/Cost Award (PACA) application with the BCUC with respect to its participation in the proceeding:

M.    By letter dated December 17, 2019, FEI provided its comments on the PACA application; and

N.     The BCUC has reviewed the PACA application 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 award 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 participant in the listed amount for participation in the FEI 2019-2022 DSM Industrial Expenditure Budget Transfer proceeding:

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

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this             8^th             day of January 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

A. K. Fung, QC

Commissioner