Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-328-22

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

FortisBC Energy Inc.

Application for Approval of a Five-Year Extension to the Transportation Service Agreement
between FortisBC Energy Inc. and the Vancouver Island Gas Joint Venture

 

BEFORE:

B. A. Magnan

 

on November 18, 2022

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      On October 24, 2022, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) applied to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), pursuant to sections 59 to 61 of the Utilities Commission Act, for approval of a five-year extension to the Transportation Service Agreement (TSA) between FEI and the Vancouver Island Gas Joint Venture (VIGJV) effective from November 1, 2022 to November 1, 2027, with all other terms to the TSA remaining unchanged (Application);

B.      FEI's original TSA with VIGJV was approved in accordance with Order in Council (OIC) No. 1510, dated December 13, 1995;

C.      The original TSA was later amended and extended through Order G-113-04, in accordance with OIC No. 1224, dated December 11, 2004, which contained a clause that allowed the parties to extend the renewal period of the TSA for a five-year term to 0800 PST on January 1, 2018;

D.      By Letter Agreement dated September 20, 2011, parties mutually agreed to extend the TSA renewal period to 8:00 am PST on January 1, 2018;

E.       By Letter Agreement dated December 15, 2017, parties mutually agreed to further extend the renewal period of the TSA to 8:00 am PST on November 1, 2022, which was approved by the BCUC by Order G-6-18;

F.       By Order G-308-22 dated October 28, 2022, the BCUC approved the requested further five-year extension to the TSA on an interim basis, effective November 1, 2022, subject to any further determinations made by the BCUC; and

G.      The BCUC determines that commencement of a proceeding to review the Application and the establishment of a regulatory timetable are warranted.

 

NOW THEREFORE, the BCUC orders as follows:

 

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

2.       FEI is directed, as soon as reasonably possible but no later than Tuesday, November 29, 2022, to provide notice of the Application and a copy of this order, electronically where possible, to all members of VIGJV.

3.       FEI is directed to post this order in a clearly visible location of its website and on all its social media platforms on or before Tuesday, November 29, 2022.

4.       FEI is directed to provide to the BCUC, by Wednesday, November 30, 2022, confirmation of compliance with the notice requirements set out in Directives 2 and 3 above, and a list of those notified.

5.       Parties wishing to provide comments on the Application are invited to submit a Letters of Comment, by the date established in the regulatory timetable. Letters of Comment must be in the Letters of Comment Form available on the BCUC’s website at: https://www.bcuc.com/Forms/LetterOfComment, and submitted by email to commission.secretary@bcuc.com or by mail to the British Columbia Utilities Commission, Suite 410, 900 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC,  V6Z 2N3.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this           18^th          day of November 2022.

 

BY ORDER

 

Original signed by:

 

B. A. Magnan

Commissioner

 

 

Attachment

 

FortisBC Energy Inc.

Application for Approval of a Five-Year Extension to the Transportation Service Agreement
between FortisBC Energy Inc. and the Vancouver Island Gas Joint Venture