Nick Marty, who plans to represent the Anarchist Mountain Community Society at hearings on FortisBC’s two-tier rate structure, supports the idea of a joint intervention with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. (Richard McGuire photo)
The regional district is forging ahead with its plan to fight FortisBC’s controversial rate structure.
On Jan. 4 the board will discuss its intervention process to challenge the utility company’s two-tier rate structure in hopes to replace it with a flat rate option for customers.
In the report, staff recommends supporting the Anarchist Mountain Community Society intervention bid, as well as releasing FortisBC customer testimonials to the society in its intervention challenge to the BC Utilities Commission.
Based on concerns by low-income citizens, the regional district has taken a stand against FortisBC’s residential conservation rates, which many electricity users argue are unfair and financially crippling.
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) has submitted more than 200 stories from ratepayers to Shane Simpson, the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
In the report, a solo intervention option is offered, whereas the regional district could procure the services of an energy lawyer to review FortisBC’s rate design application.
The other option is a joint intervention with the Anarchist Mountain group.
It was noted that the regional district is susceptible to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act regarding the release of the impact testimonials, which could contravene the Act.
“Knowing the risk, the board could determine that the benefit outweighs the risk and order release of those documents,” the report states.
In correspondence to fellow directors and regional district staff, Area A director Mark Pendergraft said he doesn’t see the Act preventing them from using the testimonials in the intervention.
Nick Marty, an opponent of FortisBC’s two-tier system, is planning to represent the Anarchist Mountain society at the hearings.
“I’ve been retired for 10 years and all my activities over the past four years have been aimed at getting a ‘wrong’ corrected that has resulted in discriminatory electricity rates being imposed on me and many of my neighbours.”
Marty recommends the joint intervention approach to challenging the utility’s rate structure.
“The BC Utilities Commission is a judicial process and I will be making purely technical arguments in the intervention as a economist and energy policy expert.”
In a letter to legal counsel, regional district Manager of Legislative Services Christy Malden said the RDOS has, for several years, tried to encourage the commission and FortisBC to discontinue the two-tier electrical rate because it was “adversely affecting rural residents who had no access to alternative heating sources.”
LYONEL DOHERTY
Special to the Times
