Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-82-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

FortisBC Energy Inc.

Complaint filed by Cascadia Energy Ltd., Direct Energy Marketing Ltd. and Access Gas Services Inc.

BEFORE:

B. A. Magnan, Panel Chair

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

on April 7, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On September 4, 2019, Cascadia Energy Ltd. (Cascadia), Direct Energy Marketing Limited (Direct), and Access Gas Services Inc. (Access) (collectively BCGMC) filed a complaint with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) (Complaint). BCGMC requested that the BCUC inquire into FortisBC's Energy Inc.’s (FEI) administration of Rate Schedules 22, 23, 25 and 27 related to transportation customer service;

B.      In the Complaint, BCGMC outlines the issues as follows:

1.       The nature and adequacy of the information that FEI provides to enable transportation customers to comply with the transportation service gas balancing and tolerance rules.

2.       Measures necessary to assure timely access to customer consumption data.

3.       Potential adjustments to the balancing rules to allow for inter-customer group balancing.

4.       Review of FEI’s practices related to decisions to curtail, the timing of curtailment and return of gas, and the associated charges, and offering competitive service to transportation customers served by gas marketers.

5.       The need for a FEI code of conduct for its gas marketing activities to establish a competitive market and level playing field for all participants;

C.      BCUC staff reviewed the Complaint according to the BCUC’s Customer Complaints Guide and on October 11, 2019 sought a response from FEI. Following that, BCGMC was provided an opportunity to review FEI’s response and provide further comments;

D.      On December 20, 2019, by Order G-340-19, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable outlining further process. On January 15, 2020, FEI submitted its responses to the BCUC Information Request (IR) 1;

E.       On January 29, 2020, BCGMC submitted its reply comments to FEI’s IR responses, including requesting an opportunity to issue an IR to FEI;

F.       On February 20, 2020, BCGMC filed an application asserting there was an apprehension of bias (Apprehension of Bias Assertion) in relation to the appointment of Commissioner Loski to the Panel reviewing the Complaint and requested a replacement Commissioner be appointed to the Panel reviewing the Complaint;

G.     On February 27, 2020, FEI submitted its reply comments in relation to the Apprehension of Bias Assertion;

H.      On March 16, 2020, Commissioner Loski issued a response to the Apprehension of Bias Assertion and denied BCGMC’s request that a replacement Commissioner be appointed to the Panel reviewing the Complaint; and

I.        The BCUC has reviewed the IR responses and reply comments and considers that establishment of a further regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC establishes a further regulatory timetable for the review of the Complaint as set out in Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this   7^th    day of April 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by :

B. A. Magnan

Commissioner

Attachment

FortisBC Energy Inc.

Complaint filed by Cascadia Energy Ltd., Direct Energy Marketing Ltd. and Access Gas Services Inc.