ORDER NUMBER
G-40-25
IN THE MATTER OF
the Utilities Commission Act, RSBC 1996, Chapter 473
and
Oakridge Energy Limited Partnership
Compliance Filing for Order G-342-24
BEFORE:
E. B. Lockhart, Commissioner
On February 21, 2025
ORDER
WHEREAS:
A. On January 22, 2025, Oakridge Energy Limited Partnership (Oakridge Energy) filed a compliance filing with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC), pursuant to Order G-342-24 and the accompanying decision in the matter of Oakridge Energy’s 2024 to 2026 revenue requirements and rates (Compliance Filing);
B. Oakridge Energy is a limited partnership of entities in the Corix Group of Companies and the Creative Energy group, established to meet the thermal energy needs of the Oakridge Centre Redevelopment;
C. By Order G-169-24 dated June 21, 2024, the BCUC approved rates for heating and cooling services for Oakridge Energy on an interim and refundable or recoverable basis, effective July 1, 2024;
D. By Order G-342-24 dated December 17, 2024, the BCUC issued its final decision in the matter of Oakridge Energy’s application for 2024 to 2026 revenue requirements and rates. The BCUC directed Oakridge Energy to file a compliance filing by January 22, 2025, to include updated financial schedules, permanent rates, and tariff pages for the test period and a proposal to address the refund or recovery of the variance between the interim and permanent capacity charges;
E. In the Compliance Filing, Oakridge Energy requests the following:
1. Confirmation of the updated capacity revenue requirements;
2. Acceptance of the updated financial schedules, rates and tariff pages. As part of this request, Oakridge Energy requests that the tariffs resulting from Order G-342-24 be marked as interim, pending the outcome of its anticipated reconsideration application;
3. Acceptance of its proposal to recover the variance between the interim capacity charges approved by Order G-342-24 and the updated capacity charges in the Compliance Filing for the period July 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, by way of a single bill adjustment; and
4. Acceptance of its proposal to recover any variance between interim rates set forth in the Compliance Filing and permanent rates established following the outcome of its anticipated reconsideration application by way of a single bill adjustment;
F. On February 13 and 18, 2025, Oakridge Energy responded to BCUC staff questions regarding the Compliance Filing;
G. On February 14, 2025, Oakridge Energy filed an application for reconsideration of Order G-342-24 and the accompanying decision related to deferral account treatment for certain costs; and
H. The BCUC has reviewed the Compliance Filing and evidence filed in the proceeding and makes the following determinations.
NOW THEREFORE for the reasons outlined in the decision accompanying this order, the BCUC orders as follows:
1. Oakridge Energy’s request to mark the tariffs pages resulting from Order G-342-24 as interim pending the outcome of its reconsideration application is denied.
2. The updated financial schedules, rates and tariff pages are accepted as filed in the Compliance Filing, with the word “interim” removed from the tariff pages.
3. Oakridge Energy is approved to recover the variance between interim capacity charges approved by Order G-169-24 and the permanent capacity charges set forth in the Compliance Filing for the period July 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025, by way of a one-time bill adjustment.
4. Oakridge Energy’s proposal to recover any variance between interim capacity charges as proposed in this Compliance Filing and the permanent capacity charges based on the outcome of its reconsideration application by way of a one-time bill adjustment is denied.
DATED at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 21st day of February 2025.
BY ORDER
Electronically signed by Blair Lockhart
E. B. Lockhart
Commissioner
Oakridge Energy Limited Partnership
Compliance Filing for Order G-342-24
DECISION
1.0 Request approval for interim rates
These reasons for decision address Directives No. 1 and 4 of Order G-40-25, which address Oakridge Energy’s request to mark the tariffs pages resulting from Order G-342-24 as interim and its proposal to recover any variance in rates, both pending the outcome of its reconsideration application. The reconsideration application is before another panel.
Oakridge Energy’s request to set rates as interim relates to Order G-342-24, which approved Oakridge Energy’s rates as permanent. The Panel considers that Oakridge Energy’s request appears to amount to a request for a variance to Order G-342-24 to enable it to charge customers on an interim basis pending the outcome of its reconsideration application. An application for reconsideration of a decision, however, does not automatically stay or suspend the operation of that decision.[1] In the Panel’s view, the tariff pages should reflect the approval that was granted by Order G-342-24, which was not interim. Therefore, the Panel denies Oakridge Energy’s request to mark the tariff pages as interim.
Given the Panel’s denial of Oakridge Energy’s request to set rates as interim, Oakridge Energy’s proposal to recover any variance between interim capacity charges and the permanent capacity charges based on the outcome of its reconsideration application by way of a one-time bill adjustment is also denied. If the reconsideration results in different permanent capacity rates from those originally approved by Order G-342-24, the approach to any refund to or recovery from customers of any variance is a matter for determination by the appointed Panel for that proceeding.
Dated at the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, this 21st day of February 2025.
Electronically signed by Blair Lockhart
_________________________________
E. B. Lockhart
Commissioner
[1] Rule 27.01 of the BCUC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure provides that an application for reconsideration of a decision does not automatically stay or suspend the operation of the decision.