Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-247-22

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

River District Energy Limited Partnership

Application for Approval for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity to Construct and Operate

the Second Phase of the District Energy Utility System for the River District Development

 

BEFORE:

E. B. Lockhart, Panel Chair

C. M. Brewer, Commissioner

B. A. Magnan, Commissioner

 

on September 7, 2022

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On June 30, 2022, River District Energy Limited Partnership (RDE) submitted an application with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to construct and operate the second phase of the District Energy Utility System (DEU) for the River District Development (River District) (River District DEU), pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) (Application);

B.      On December 19, 2011, pursuant to Order C-14-11, RDE was granted a CPCN to construct and operate temporary and permanent natural gas fuelled energy centres and related thermal distribution piping system and energy transfer stations. The construction of the permanent energy centre and the planned build out of the River District DEU was postponed due to the slower than anticipated build out of River District;

C.      In the Application, RDE seeks approval to construct a new permanent Community Energy Centre (CEC) that will use thermal energy generated from waste heat produced at Metro Vancouver’s Waste-to-Energy Facility (WTEF) in Burnaby, and delivered to RDE by pipeline through a closed loop hot water system. RDE’s residual energy needs will be met with natural gas-fired hot water boilers located in the CEC. The proposed facilities also include the buildout of RDE’s thermal energy distribution piping system to connect the remaining development sites within River District;

D.      By Order G-234-22, dated August 17, 2022, the BCUC established a public hearing process and regulatory timetable for review of the Application, which consisted of public notice, intervener registration, BCUC and intervener information requests (IRs), RDE responses to IRs and submissions on further process;

E.       By letter dated August 24, 2022, the BCUC requested that RDE provide further information on the Application;

F.       On September 2, 2022, RDE filed further information on the Application; and

G.      The BCUC has reviewed of the Application and finds that an amendment to the regulatory timetable is warranted.

 

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

 

1.       The regulatory timetable is amended as set out in Appendix A to this order.

2.       On or before Wednesday, September 14, 2022, RDE must provide the Public Notice, attached as Appendix B to this order, and a copy of this order and regulatory timetable, electronically where possible, to all First Nations notified as part of the 2011 CPCN Application for the District Energy System at the River District Development in Vancouver proceeding, and any other potentially affected First Nations.

3.       RDE is directed to provide to the BCUC, by Wednesday, September 21, 2022, a list of all parties notified of the proceeding, as directed in Directive 2 of this order, including the method and date of notification.

4.       Parties who wish to actively participate in the proceeding are to register with the BCUC by completing a Request to Intervene Form, available on the BCUC’s website under Get Involved, by the date established in the Regulatory Timetable and in accordance with the BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure attached to Order G-178-22. Parties who wish to stay informed about the proceeding may register as an interested party by completing an Interested Party Form, available on the BCUC’s website under Get Involved. Parties may also submit letters of comment by completing a Letter of Comment Form, available on the BCUC’s website.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this   7^th   day of September 2022.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

E. B. Lockhart

Commissioner

 

 

Attachment

 

 

River District Energy Limited Partnership

Application for Approval for a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity to Construct and Operate

the Second Phase of the District Energy Utility System for the River District Development

 

 

 

 

 

 

RIVER DISTRICT ENERGY

APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THE SECOND PHASE OF THE RIVER DISTRCIT ENERGY UTILITY SYSTEM

On June 30, 2022, River District Energy Limited Partnership (RDE) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to construct and operate the second phase of the District Energy Utility System (DEU) for the River District Development (River District) (River District DEU), pursuant to sections 45 and 46 of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) (Application).

 

RDE is seeking approval to construct a new permanent Community Energy Centre (CEC) that will utilize thermal energy generated from waste heat produced at Metro Vancouver’s Waste-to-Energy Facility (WTEF) in Burnaby, delivered to RDE by pipeline through a closed loop hot water system. RDE’s residual energy needs will be met with natural gas-fired hot water boilers located in the CEC. The proposed facilities also include the buildout of RDE’s thermal energy distribution piping system to connect the remaining sites within River District to the River District DEU.

 

The BCUC has established a public hearing process to review RDE’s Application.

 

For more information about the Application, please visit the Proceeding Webpage on bcuc.com under “Our Work – Proceedings.” To learn more about getting involved, please visit our website at www.bcuc.com/get-involved or contact us at the information below.

GET MORE INFORMATION
River District Energy Limited Partnership 2000 – 595 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC  V6C 0E4   E: mshield@wesgroup.ca   P: 604.648.1801	British Columbia Utilities Commission Suite 410, 900 Howe Street Vancouver, BC  V6Z 2N3   E: Commission.Secretary@bcuc.com   P: 604.660.4700