ORDER NUMBER
G-1-21
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority
Fiscal 2022 Revenue Requirements Application
BEFORE:
D. M. Morton, Panel Chair
R. I. Mason, Commissioner
T. A. Loski, Commissioner
on January 5, 2021
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On December 22, 2020, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed its Fiscal 2022 Revenue Requirements Application (Application) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) pursuant to sections 58 to 61 and 89 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), requesting, among other things:
(i) Approval of an increase in rates by 1.16 percent, effective April 1, 2021; and
(ii) Approval of the Fiscal 2022 Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) rates as set out in Table 9-4 of the Application, effective April 1, 2021;
B. BC Hydro requests that these rate changes be set on an interim basis, pending a final BCUC decision on the Application;
C. In the Application, pursuant to the Part IV of the BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure as attached to Order G-15-19, BC Hydro also requests that certain information in Chapter 6, Appendix I and Appendix N be held confidential due to the customer-specific and/or commercially sensitive nature of the information and that all of Appendix Z be held confidential and be made available to the BCUC only due to the highly security sensitive nature of the information;
D. By Order G-345-20, the BCUC established the regulatory timetable for the review of the Application, which includes one round of BCUC and intervener information requests and a review session, followed by a written argument phase; and
E. The BCUC has commenced its review of the Application and finds that the setting of interim rates is warranted. The BCUC has also reviewed BC Hydro’s request to hold certain information in Chapter 6, Appendix I and Appendix N and all of Appendix Z confidential in accordance with Part IV of the BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure and determines that approval is warranted.
NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to sections 58 to 61 and 89 of the UCA, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. The requested rate increase of 1.16 percent as applied for in the Application is approved on an interim basis effective April 1, 2021.
2. The requested OATT rates for fiscal 2022 as set out in Table 9-4 of the Application are approved on an interim basis effective April 1, 2021.
3. The rates approved by this order will remain interim and subject to refund/recovery or adjustment with interest at BC Hydro’s weighted average cost of debt until further order of the BCUC.
4. BC Hydro is to file with the BCUC for endorsement the applicable Tariff sheets reflecting the rates for fiscal 2022 shown in Table Y-1 and Table Y-2 of Appendix Y to the Application 30 days before the effective dates of the interim rates.
5. BC Hydro must provide all BC Hydro customers with notification of the interim rate changes as soon as is practicable.
6. BC Hydro’s request to hold certain information in Chapter 6, Appendix I and Appendix N and all of Appendix Z confidential is granted.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 5th day of January 2021.
BY ORDER
Original signed by:
D. M. Morton
Commissioner