Prudency Review Required Before Deferred Revenue Can Be Recovered

In a decision released on June 3, 2010, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld orders of the Ontario Energy Board and the Divisional Court that deny Great Lakes Power (GLP) recovery of approximately $15 million from its customers because the underlying costs had not been subject to a prudency review.

The appeal related to a portion of GLP's revenue requirement that had been voluntarily deferred between 2002 and 2007 to avoid rate shock to its customers. The underlying costs did not undergo a full prudency review by the Board because of the "rate freeze" implemented by Bill 210 in 2002. GLP refused to submit to a prudency review when it sought recovery of these amounts in its 2007 rate application. GLP argued that the Board had approved the costs in a 2002 interim order and was foreclosed from revisiting those costs by Bill 210. The Board disagreed with GLP's interpretation of the 2002 interim order and denied recovery in the absence of a prudency review. The