Holiday office closure

The AUC offices will be closed for the holidays from December 25, 2024 through January 1, 2025.

No external deadlines will be scheduled during the closure, nor will the AUC be actively processing applications during this time.

More information can be found here: 2024-10-16-Announcement.

Written consultation established on draft rule to facilitate funding to the Utilities Consumer Advocate

The Electricity Statutes (Modernizing Alberta’s Electricity Grid) Amendment Act, 2022, which received royal assent on May 31, 2022, introduced a requirement for the AUC to facilitate an administration fee on gas and electric utilities to pay for the UCA’s estimated net expenditures for a fiscal year.

In response, the AUC has drafted a rule to facilitate funding to the UCA and has established a written consultation process for public comment.

More information can be found in Bulletin 2024-21.

Written consultation established on draft amendments to Rule 009

The AUC has prepared draft amendments to Rule 009: Rules on Local Intervener Costs and established a written consultation process on these draft amendments.

The draft amendments are intended to update and streamline the rule in a manner similar to previous amendments to Rule 022: Rules on Costs in Utility Rates Proceedings, to introduce honoraria for municipal interveners, and to provide for greater flexibility for hearing panels to consider costs earlier in the proceeding process.

The AUC is requesting stakeholder feedback on agents in AUC proceedings and on intervener honoraria. Further information can be found in Bulletin 2024-20.

Rule 018 amendments, settlement issues and interim change

The Alberta Utilities Commission has prepared draft amendments to Rule 018: Rules on Negotiated Settlements and established a written consultation process for public comment on these draft amendments.

The draft amendments to Rule 018 are intended to make settlements more accessible and efficient.

The AUC is further inviting stakeholder comment on broader issues related to settlements as identified in Bulletin 2024-19.

Amendments to AUC Rule 029

The AUC has amended Rule 029: Municipal Franchise Agreements. The amendments are intended to enable the legislative changes related to franchise agreements driven by the Utilities Affordability Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 (the Act), modernize the notice requirements and clarify language.

The amendments to Rule 029 come into force on September 12, 2024.

Further information, including the revised rule, comment matrix and blackline version of Rule 029, can be found in Bulletin 2024-18.

Implementing the annually updated return on equity

The Alberta Utilities Commission is committed to reducing regulatory red tape and fostering transparency and certainty in regulatory procedures. In line with this commitment, the Commission is implementing a standardized process for Alberta’s electric and gas utilities to incorporate the annually updated return on equity (ROE). 

More information is available in Bulletin 2024-17.