Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-57-21

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

and

Nelson Hydro

Cost of Service Analysis and Rate Design Application

BEFORE:

R. I. Mason, Panel Chair

A. K. Fung, QC, Commissioner

T. A. Loski, Commissioner

on March 1, 2021

ORDER

WHEREAS:

A.      On November 27, 2020, Nelson Hydro filed a Cost of Service Analysis (COSA) and Rate Design Application (RDA) with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) (Application);

B.      Nelson Hydro is owned and operated by the City of Nelson and is exempt from regulation under the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) to the extent it is serving customers within its municipal boundaries. Accordingly, the BCUC’s review of the Application pertains solely to Nelson Hydro’s non-municipal, or rural, ratepayers;

C.      In the Application, Nelson Hydro requests approval of the following:

1.       Proposed return on equity for the Rural service area at 9.25% to be used for future rate applications;

2.       Nelson Hydro’s Policies approved by City Council relating to the non-municipal portion of the utility (i.e. the Allocation Factors Policy, Generation Rates Policy, Debt Policy, and Deferral Account Policy);

3.       The COSA; and

4.       Proposed rate changes to Rural residential rates effective September 1, 2021 (to be phased-in over a three-year period with follow-up adjustments effective September 1, 2022 and September 1, 2023);

D.      By Order G-346-20 dated December 22, 2020, the BCUC established a regulatory timetable which included intervener registration and one round of BCUC and intervener information requests (IRs) with responses due back from Nelson Hydro on March 9, 2021;

E.       By letter dated February 26, 2021, Nelson Hydro requested an extension to file its responses to the BCUC and intervener IRs. Nelson Hydro submits that due to limited staff resources and the number of IRs that Nelson Hydro has received, an extension to March 15, 2021 for responses to BCUC IR No. 1, and an extension to March 30, 2021 for responses to intervener IR No. 1 are requested; and

F.       The Panel has reviewed the extension request and considers that an amendment to the regulatory timetable is warranted.

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC amends the regulatory timetable established by Order G-346-20. The amended regulatory timetable for the review of the Application is attached as Appendix A to this order.

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this                   1^st              day of March 2021.

BY ORDER

Original signed by:

R. I. Mason

Commissioner

Attachment

Nelson Hydro

Cost of Service Analysis and Rate Design Application