The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) is an independent agency of the government of the
Province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
responsible for regulating rates and standards of service quality. The Commission's primary responsibility is the regulation of British Columbia's natural gas and electricity utilities.
They also regulate intra-provincial pipelines and the
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is a provincial Crown corporation in British Columbia providing insurance. ICBC was created in 1973 by the NDP government of Premier Dave Barrett.
By law, any vehicle registered and driven o ...
(ICBC), a
crown corporation
A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...
responsible for insuring vehicles and operators in the province.
Apart from rates and services, the BCUC is also responsible for ensuring that
shareholder
A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of a corporation is an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the legal own ...
s of utilities are afforded a reasonable opportunity to earn a fair return on their invested
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
, that competitive interests are not frustrated, and that government energy policy is practically implemented. In addition, it approves the development of
infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
planned by utilities and their issuance of
securities
A security is a tradable financial asset. The term commonly refers to any form of financial instrument, but its legal definition varies by jurisdiction. In some countries and languages people commonly use the term "security" to refer to any for ...
, establishes tolls and conditions of service for intraprovincial oil
pipelines, and has responsibility for
electric power transmission
Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to an electrical substation. The interconnected lines that facilitate this movement form a ''transmission network''. This is ...
facilities and
energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...
supply
contract
A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
s. The BCUC also reviews energy-related matters referred to it by
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
, which usually involve public hearings, followed by a report and recommendations to Cabinet.
With respect to ICBC, the Commission is responsible for ensuring that service to basic
automobile insurance
Vehicle insurance (also known as car insurance, motor insurance, or auto insurance) is insurance for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage or bodily injury r ...
policyholders is adequate, efficient, just and reasonable, and that ICBC optional insurance is not subsidized by other ICBC operations.
The BCUC has quasi-judicial responsibilities, and may make legally binding rulings (subject to court appeal). It is governed by its enabling statute, the ''Utilities Commission Act'', other legislation and regulations including the ''Administrative Tribunals Act, Pipeline Act'', and — with respect to ICBC — provisions of the ''Insurance Corporation Act''.
The BCUC works to maintain processes that are fair, transparent and inclusive. The BCUC values input from British Columbians, and is committed to issuing well-reasoned, evidence-based decisions.
In addition to its regulatory responsibilities, the Commission provides the following services and assistance:
* reviews ratepayers' complaints about the actions of utilities;
* provides copies of documentation prepared by the Commission;
* provides access to regulated utilities'
tariff
A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and poli ...
s and information filed in public hearings;
* responds to requests for general information regarding utilities.
The Commission has been self-funded since 1988. Its annual budget ranges from $4.6 to $4.7 million, with its costs recovered primarily through a levy on the energy utilities and pipelines companies that it regulates.
The BCUC describes its mission as follows:
''The BCUC's mission is to ensure that ratepayers receive safe, reliable and non-discriminatory energy services at fair rates from the utilities it regulates, and that shareholders of those utilities are afforded a reasonable opportunity to earn a fair return on their invested capital.''
References
{{Reflist
External links
BCUC website
British Columbia government departments and agencies