FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) Application for a Certificate of Public ...

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FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC or the Company)
Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project
Response to British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC or the Commission)
Information Request (IR) No. 1
Submission Date:
October 5, 2012
Page 187
to identify sites based on suspicious consumption patterns. It is challenging to identify theft by
consumption patterns since there is no consumption to be detected. This software is most
useful for detecting suspicious paid consumption patterns, which is not the purpose of the
FortisBC revenue protection program.
FortisBC continues to monitor commercial theft detection software, but believes that energy
balancing is the most cost-effective approach.
Response:
82.7 Why does FortisBC consider that hourly consumption data may be sufficient for
feeder meters, and yet requires half-hourly consumption data for advanced
meters at customer homes or businesses?
The Application states in several sections the intent to collect hourly consumption data from
advanced meters installed at customer premises (please refer to pages 3,19, 46, 51 and 55
from the Application). There is no intent at this time to collect consumption data at half-hourly
intervals.
83.0 Reference: Project Costs and Benefits
Exhibit B-1, Tab 5.0, Section 5.3.2, pp. 82-84;
Energy Theft - Annual Marijuana Energy Use Assumptions
FortisBC states on pages 82 to 84 of the Application:
“A 2011 study prepared by Dr. Darryl Plecas, RCMP University Research Chair at the
University of the Fraser Valley, estimates that 13,206 indoor marijuana grow premises
existed province wide in 2010. As FortisBC serves approximately 6 percent of residential
electric customers in BC, 792 sites were calculated to exist in the Company’s service
area. This figure is assumed to increase at 2 percent annually in the status quo model,
resulting in an overall figure of 824 grow sites in FortisBC’s service territory in 2012.
Dr. Plecas reports an average of 36 lights per site; however, FortisBC historical data
indicates 30 lights per site. Although FortisBC data indicates the number is trending
upward, the more conservative 30 has been used in the theft benefit calculation. Each
light consumes an average 14 kWhs per day based on a combination of 18 and 12 hours