FEI-FEVI 2010 EEC Report filed March 31, 2011 - FortisBC

March 22, 2011
Mr. Mark Grist,
FortisBC Energy Inc.
Manager Business Development
16705 Fraser Highway
Surrey B.C. V4N 0E8
Dear Mr. Grist,
The Commercial Energy Consumers (“CEC”) Association of BC is writing to you at this point in time to
communicate its views with respect to the provision of FortisBC Energy Inc. (“FEI”) Energy Efficiency and
Conservation (“EEC”) funds to support the transition of diesel oil fuelled transportation markets to
natural gas fuelled transportation, particularly for the trucking component of the transportation market.
The CEC has supported the provision of FEI’s EEC funds to transforming the transportation market and
continues to support FEI in allocating EEC funds to this purpose for one very simple reason; it is in the
interest of FEI’s customers, the ratepayers. The CEC believes all ratepayers and specifically the
commercial ratepayers will benefit significantly from investing in the transformation of this market. The
CEC has been supportive of FEI in moving to capture this opportunity for its customers and critical
whenever the movement to capture this opportunity is moving too slowly or not being planned
aggressively enough.
The CEC is putting forward this position to FEI because at the stakeholder workshop, held to discuss EEC
programs, we were informed of issues arising from the recent interim decision of the BC Utilities
Commission (“BCUC”) with respect to the Waste Management contracts and initiative being undertaken
by FEI. We understand from FEI that it is interested in stakeholder’s views with respect to these
initiatives and that FEI might like to include these views in its submissions to the Commission relative to
its planned filing with the BCUC of FEI’s 2010 Report on its EEC Programs.
We understand that the Commission’s recent decision may have created some uncertainty with respect
to FEI providing funds to support the Waste Management initiatives and potentially with respect to
advancing the transformation of the trucking transportation markets in general. The CEC would like to
see this uncertainty resolved as soon as possible. The CEC would therefore support a reconsideration of
the decision leading to the uncertainty or any plan to have clarification and certainty returned to the FEI
transportation market transformation initiatives. We understand that FEI believes that the best
opportunity to seek the required certainty would be found in BCUC regulatory process considering the
issues in conjunction with the FEI 2010 EEC Report. The CEC would therefore support any initiative by
FEI or the BCUC to consider the funding issues as part of the FEI 2010 EEC Report filing.
509-1190 Melville Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 3W1
T: 604-568-4904 F: 604-568-4595