What's new newsletter

The OEB has issued its response to The Very Small Utilities Working Group Report filed by OEB staff on February 28, 2024. The report contained recommendations and suggestions regarding filing requirements, the cost of service process, alternative regulatory approaches for very small utilities, and a process for monitoring the impact of regulatory approaches on these utilities.

The OEB has issued the Non-Wires Solutions Guidelines for Electricity Distributors (NWS Guidelines). The NWS Guidelines replace the Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) Guidelines and provide OEB guidance on the role of non-wires solutions for rate-regulated electricity distributors. The change in name reflects the fact that non-wires solutions to address system needs can encompass a broader range of solutions than traditional conservation and demand management, including, but not limited to, third-party distributed energy resources such as energy storage and distributed generation.

As part of its ongoing Reliability and Power Quality Review consultation, the OEB has developed a Guide to Addressing Electricity Distribution Power Quality Issues. The Guide is intended to enhance transparency and consistency by fostering a uniform approach for addressing power quality issues across Ontario.

The OEB has published materials from its February 2024 Webinar and Q&A Session on OEB’s Accounting Order (003-2023) for the Establishment of a Deferral Account to Record Incremental Cloud Computing Arrangement Implementation Costs. The materials include responses to questions received during the session.

The OEB has issued a notice regarding amendments to the Natural Gas Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements (RRR) Rule for Gas Utilities (Natural Gas RRR Rule). The notice also advises natural gas utilities of an update to the RRR Filing Portal regarding cloud computing costs.

The OEB has issued the final Notice of Amendments to the Distribution System Code. The amendments are intended to enable electricity distributors to offer flexible hosting capacity arrangements.

The OEB has issued a letter to electricity licensees and licensed natural gas marketers which includes a summary of changes to the Reporting and Record-keeping Requirements (RRR) for the 2024 filing and updates to RRR documentation. The letter also highlights new RRR changes expected for the April 2025 filing and beyond for electricity distributors, including interruption sub-cause codes and voluntary feeder-level reliability reporting.

The OEB has issued a letter regarding an update on activities arising from its report to the minister, entitled, "Improving Distribution Sector Resilience, Responsiveness and Cost Efficiency." The initiatives the OEB has planned will enable significant progress to mature the sector’s capability to anticipate and respond to adverse weather - all while ensuring distributors continue to deliver on service expectations and value for customers. More information can be found on the Distribution Sector Resilience, Responsiveness and Cost Efficiency (DRRCE) Hub. 

The OEB has issued a Notice of Amendments to the Distribution System Code and Transmission System Code. The amendments require utilities to comply with a new Ontario Cyber Security Standard document which focuses on privacy, corporate governance, and situational awareness related to cyber security. These amendments will come into force on October 1, 2024.

The OEB has approved changes to the prices Enbridge Gas Inc. and EPCOR Natural Gas Limited Partnership will charge their customers for natural gas effective April 1, 2024.