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

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Response:
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 199
85.5 Has FortisBC considered as an alternative option to address electricity theft an
expansion of the role of the Revenue Protection Program (which could be
coupled with advanced meters at the feeder level)? If not, please explain why
not. If yes, please describe the results.
The alternative option as described has not been considered by FortisBC since the deployment
of advanced meters at the feeder level in the absence of advanced meters at customer
premises is not an effective tool in identifying electric theft. An expansion in the existing
department in conjunction with advanced feeder meters would not increase the number of leads
nor improve the quality of tips; both of which are possible with AMI deployment. Please see the
responses to BCUC IR1 Q82.4 and Q84.1.1.
86.0 Reference: Project Costs and Benefits
Response:
Exhibit No. B-1, Tab 5.0, Section 5.3.2, pp. 80-83
Potential AMI Forecast
86.1 Provide a copy of information from Professor Neil Boyd, professor of criminology
at Simon Fraser University, that allowed FortisBC to prepare the two additional
calculations based on its interpretation of their data: a low range (“Low Range“)
and a high range (“High Range”) estimate.
Please refer to Appendix BCUC IR1 86.1 entitled Professor Neil Boyd Opinion which supports a
Low Range calculation. The High Range calculation was based on the 2011 report issued by
Dr. Darryl Plecas and Jordan Diplock titled “The Increasing Problem of Electrical Consumption
in Indoor Marihuana Grow Operations in British Columbia”. The latter report was filed by
Commission staff on August 14, 2012 as Exhibit A2-1.
Response:
86.2 What would the low/high range forecast be if grow ops switch to LED lighting
systems?
As current information suggests that this technology is not yet proven for marijuana production,
FortisBC does not contemplate the conversion to LED Lighting systems by producers during the