1. No category

January 29, 2015
Disposition 20111-D01-2015
EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc.
2000, 10423 - 101 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5H 0E8
Attention:
Mr. Pawel Stroemich
Manager, Regulated Rate Option and Default Operations
EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc.
Regulated Rate Tariff
Electric Energy Charges and
Non-energy charges – February 1, 2015
Proceeding 20111
1.
On January 27, 2015, EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc.1 (EEA) filed its energy charges
applicable to its regulated rate tariff (RRT) for the month of February 2015 with the Alberta
Utilities Commission. The RRT energy charges apply to the EPCOR Distribution &
Transmission Inc. (EDTI) and FortisAlberta Inc. (Fortis) service territories.
2.
The filing included a letter from the independent advisor.2 The advisor stated that he had
reviewed the energy charges filed by EEA for the month of February 2015, and stated that they
were calculated in accordance with all aspects of the energy price setting plan (EPSP) for
2011-2014, as approved in Decision 2011-123,3 amended in Decision 2011-259,4 amended again
in Decision 2011-314,5 amended further in Decision 2013-0216 and amended again in
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Through Decision 2014-045: EPCOR Energy Alberta Inc. and EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc., Approval of
Arrangement to Provide Regulated Rate Option Service, Application No. 1609903, Proceeding ID No. 2818,
February 26, 2014, the Commission approved the appointment of EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc., in its
capacity as the general partner of EPCOR Energy Alberta Limited Partnership, to provide regulated rate option
service to eligible customers within EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc.’s and FortisAlberta Inc.’s
distribution service area.
The advisor assisted in designing the 2006-2011 and the 2011-2014 energy price setting plans (EPSP) and has an
ongoing role respecting the procurement of the energy under the protocols established in the EPSP.
Decision 2011-123: EPCOR Energy Alberta Inc., Application for Approval of a Settlement Agreement in respect
of the 2011-2014 Energy Price Setting Plan, Proceeding 1032, Application 1606913, March 31, 2011.
Decision 2011-259: EPCOR Energy Alberta Inc., Amendment to 2011-2014 Energy Price Setting Plan,
Proceeding 1266, Application 1607373, June 15, 2011.
Decision 2011-314: EPCOR Energy Alberta Inc., Amendment to 2011-2014 Energy Price Setting Plan,
Proceeding 1335, Application 1607479, July 22, 2011.
Decision 2013-021: EPCOR Energy Alberta Inc., Application to Amend the 2011-2014 Energy Price Setting
Plan, Proceeding 2216, Application 1608970, January 25, 2013.
Alberta Utilities Commission
January 29, 2015
Page 2 of 4
Decision 2013-292.7 Decision 2014-0518 allowed the continuation of EEA’s Amended 20112014 EPSP during the transition period between the expiry of EEA’s current 2011-2014 EPSP
and the implementation of EEA’s new EPSP.
3.
EEA’s EPSP, approved in Decision 2011-123, amended in Decision 2011-259, amended
again in Decision 2011-314, further amended in Decision 2013-021, and amended again in
Decision 2013-292, and continued in Decision 2014-051 formed part of a negotiated settlement,
which the Commission considered to result in just and reasonable rates.
EEA’s proposed energy charges for the month of February 2015 are as follows:
4.
Energy charges (EDTI service territory)
Rate class
cents/kWh
Residential
6.583
Small Commercial
6.583
Lighting
5.063
Energy charges (Fortis service territory)
Rate class
cents/kWh
Residential
6.422
Small Commercial
6.512
Lighting
4.832
Farm
6.469
Irrigation
6.333
Oil & Gas
6.313
5.
The AUC has reviewed the filing, including the letter from the advisor, and the AUC
accepts that the above-noted energy charges represent rates determined in accordance with
EEA’s EPSP for 2011-2014, including the month-ahead portion and uplift charges as approved
in Decision 2011-123.
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Decision 2013-292: EPCOR Energy Alberta Inc., Amendments to the 2011-2014 Energy Price Setting Plan,
Proceeding 2565, Application 1609493, August 7, 2013.
Decision 2014-051: Direct Energy Regulated Services, ENMAX Energy Corporation and EPCOR Energy
Alberta Inc. Regulated Rate Tariff and Energy Price Setting Plans – Generic Proceeding: Part A – Transition
Period, Proceeding 2941, Application 1610120, March 3, 2014.
Alberta Utilities Commission
January 29, 2015
Page 3 of 4
6.
In accordance with Section 7(3) of the Regulated Rate Option Regulation, AR 262/2005,
as amended, the AUC acknowledges that the energy charges as set out above are applicable to
EEA’s RRT in the noted service territories for the month of February 2015.
7.
Further, as outlined in sections 7(4) and 7(5) of the Regulated Rate Option Regulation,
EEA must retain records sufficient to enable the AUC to audit any previous monthly rates set by
EEA. Any amount overcharged to customers due to an incorrect rate calculation must be
refunded to customers as soon as practicable after the error is discovered.
8.
If any affected party objects to the calculation of the energy charges for the month in
question, they should notify the AUC and EEA in a timely manner, and include the nature of
their objection and the reason(s) why it should be considered.
EEA’s proposed non-energy charges effective February 1, 2015, are as follows:
9.
Non-energy charges (EDTI service territory)
Rate class
($/month/site)
Residential
6.56
Small Commercial
5.85
Lighting
6.06
Non-energy charges (Fortis service territory)
Rate class
($/month/site)
Residential
6.49
Small Commercial
6.76
Lighting
6.19
Farm
5.96
Irrigation
4.97
Oil & Gas
4.85
10.
The AUC has reviewed the filing with respect to the non-energy charges and the AUC
accepts that the above-noted non-energy charges represent rates determined in accordance with
Decision 2013-4239 and Decision 3461-D01-2015.10 In Decision 2013-423, EEA’s non-energy
charges were approved on an interim refundable basis, effective January 1, 2014. Non-energy
charges for 2014 and 2015 were approved in Decision 2014-30311 but are yet to be finalized and
implemented pending a refiling application. To reflect the impact of Decision 2014-303, and to
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Decision 2013-423: EPCOR Energy Alberta Inc., 2014 Interim Regulated Rate Tariff Application,
Proceeding 2850, Application 1609954, December 2, 2013.
Decision 3461-D01-2015: EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc., 2015 Interim Regulated Rate Tariff,
Proceeding 3461, Application 1610915, January 23, 2015.
Decision 2014-303: EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc., 2014-2015 Non-energy Regulated Rate Tariffs,
Proceeding 2986, Application 1610188, November 4, 2014.
Alberta Utilities Commission
January 29, 2015
Page 4 of 4
help prevent future rate shock to customers due to the use of interim rates, EEA subsequently
requested and received approval for revised interim rates that will take effect February 1, 2015.
These non-energy charges are applicable to the EDTI and Fortis service territories respectively.
Derrick Ploof
Director, Retail Energy and Water
On behalf of the Alberta Utilities Commission