The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure has issued a directive, dated March 31, 2010 to the Ontario Energy Board with regard to electricity conservation and demand management (“CDM”) Targets to be met by licensed electricity distributors.
In accordance with the Directive, the Board is required to amend certain electricity distributors’ licences to include a requirement to achieve reductions in electricity consumption and reductions in peak provincial electricity demand by the amounts specified by the Board, through the delivery of CDM programs, over a four year period beginning January 1, 2011. This amendment is to be effected without a hearing and in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Directive.
The Directive also sets out the total of the CDM Targets that the Board must allocate to the respective distributors:
- 1,330 megawatts (MW) of provincial peak demand persisting at the end of the four year period; and,
- 6,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of reduced electricity consumption accumulated over the four year period.
As set out in the Directive, the Board is responsible for determining the allocation of the total CDM targets to each licensed electricity distributor, having regard to information from the Ontario Power Authority, developed in consultation with distributors.