Rates
In this decision, the AUC approved the application from EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc. (“EPCOR”) for an update to its 2021 system access service (“SAS”) rates, effective April 1, 2021.
Background and Details of Application
EPCOR SAS rates are designed to recover charges paid by EPCOR to the Alberta Electric System Operator (“AESO”) for access to the transmission system.
In Decision 25866-D01-2020, the AUC had approved EPCOR’s 2021 SAS rates together with EPCOR’s 2021 performance-based regulation rates. Shortly after, the AUC issued Decision 26054-D01-2020 regarding the AESO’s 2021 Independent System Operator (“ISO”) tariff update and approved changes to all of the AESO demand transmission service (“DTS”) rate components. In this application, to update its SAS cost-of service model to align with the changes to the AESO DTS rate components, EPCOR requested approval to update its 2021 SAS rates, effective April 1, 2021.
EPCOR submitted an updated calculation of its 2021 SAS rates. The only change in the inputs for 2021 from those approved in Decision 25866-D01-2020 were the AESO DTS rates. EPCOR further submitted a bill comparison to indicate the impact of the updated SAS rates from March 2021 to April 2021 for a typical customer in each of its rate classes. The bill impact to each rate class was less than 10 per cent.
AUC Findings
The AUC found that the calculation of the proposed 2021 SAS rates was consistent with past SAS rate applications. The AUC also found the bill impacts to be reasonable. The AUC approved EPCOR’s proposed update to its 2021 SAS rates, as filed, to reflect the changes to the DTS rates approved in the AESO’s 2021 ISO tariff update.
