Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-290-20

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority

Rate Schedule 1893 – Transmission Service Incremental Energy Rate Alternative Baselines Application 2020

BEFORE:

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

on November 10, 2020

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On September 21, 2020, the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), pursuant to sections 58 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), an application for approval of alternative Rate Schedule (RS) 1893 Baselines for its Transmission Service Rate (TSR) customer, West Fraser Mills Ltd. (West Fraser) (the Application);

B.      In the Application, BC Hydro seeks BCUC approval for alternative High Load Hours (HLH) Baselines, Low Load Hours (LLH) Baselines and Monthly Reference Demands (collectively, RS 1893 Baselines) at West Fraser’s Quesnel River Pulp facility;

C.      BC Hydro submits that West Fraser’s RS 1893 Baselines, initially determined using electricity consumption for BC Hydro’s Fiscal year 2019, were not representative of their normal expected electricity consumption in Fiscal year 2021;

D.      Pursuant to RS 1893, Special Condition 8, alternative baselines are subject to final approval by the BCUC;

E.       Pursuant to RS 1893, Special Condition 9, BC Hydro will file with the BCUC adjustments to RS 1893 Baselines consistent with the principles and criteria set out in BC Hydro’s Tariff Supplement No. 74 (TS 74);

F.       Pursuant to RS 1893, Special Condition 10, subject to direction from the BCUC, BC Hydro will use RS 1893 Baselines filed in accordance with Special Conditions 8 and 9 for the purposes of applying RS 1893 and RS 1823;

G.      Pursuant to TS 74, Customer Baseline Load (CBL) Determination Guidelines, all CBLs are subject to final approval by the BCUC;

H.      By Order G-258-20, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable seeking letters of comment from the public;

I.         By October 28, 2020, the BCUC did not receive any letters of comment on the Application;

J.        BC Hydro requests that Appendix C of the Application be held in confidence as it contains commercially sensitive information; and

K.       The BCUC has reviewed the Application and considers that approval is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

1.       The alternative RS 1893 Baselines, as contained in Appendix C of the Application, are approved effective April 1, 2020.

2.       The BCUC will hold confidential Appendix C of the Application as it contains commercially sensitive information.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this            10^th           day of November 2020.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

B. A. Magnan

Commissioner