Orders

ORDER NUMBER

G-1-25

 

IN THE MATTER OF

the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473

 

and

 

FortisBC Energy Inc.

2023 Customer Choice Annual General Meeting

 

BEFORE:

B. A. Magnan, Panel Chair

E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner

W. E. Royle, Commissioner

 

on January 10, 2025

 

ORDER

WHEREAS:

 

A.      FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI) obtained approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) in 2006 for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the Commodity Unbundling Project for Residential Customers (Customer Choice) in accordance with the government’s 2002 energy policy, which would allow for unbundling of natural gas through gas marketing companies licensed by the BCUC (Gas Marketers);

B.      The BCUC has established Rules for Gas Marketers and a Code of Conduct for Gas Marketers, both of which have been modified from time to time. The BCUC approved the Ninth Revision (Amended) of the Code of Conduct, effective December 18, 2023, by Order A-12-23 (Code of Conduct);

C.      Article 34 of the Code of Conduct states that the Code of Conduct shall be reviewed and modified, if required, at an annual general meeting (AGM);

D.      By Order A-10-12, dated June 21, 2012, the BCUC established a process for the AGM to include FEI releasing Customer Choice program statistics annually; BCUC Staff canvassing stakeholders about program issues to be addressed, if any, at the AGM; and the BCUC determining whether an AGM proceeding is warranted for the year. The most recent AGM was the seventh AGM held on June 9, 2015;

E.       By Order G-234-24, dated August 27, 2024, the BCUC established the scope of the 2023 AGM and a regulatory timetable, including the issuance of a draft revised Code of Conduct and one round of submissions by the AGM participants. The BCUC received and reviewed submissions by Easy Energy Inc. and FEI;

F.       By Order G-323-24, dated December 3, 2024, the BCUC amended the regulatory timetable to include one round of information requests to FEI. On December 11, 2024, FEI filed responses to the information requests;

G.      The Panel has reviewed all submissions by AGM participants and made further changes to the draft revised Code of Conduct (Further Revised Code of Conduct); and

H.      The BCUC considers that an amendment to the regulatory timetable is warranted to allow AGM participants to make submissions on the Further Revised Code of Conduct.

 

NOW THEREFORE the BCUC orders as follows:

 

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

2.       The scope of the 2023 AGM established by Directive 2 of Order G-234-24 is amended to include the changes to the Code of Conduct set out in the Further Revised Code of Conduct.

 

DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this        10^th       day of January 2025.

 

BY ORDER

 

Electronically signed by Bernard Magnan

 

B. A. Magnan

Commissioner

 

Attachment

 

 

FortisBC Energy Inc.

2023 Customer Choice Annual General Meeting