What's new newsletter

The OEB has posted the electricity distributors' 2025 stretch factor assignments for the 2026 Incentive Rate Mechanism (IRM) rate-setting process. The benchmarking details and assignments are published in the Pacific Economics Group (PEG) "Empirical Research in Support of Incentive Rate-Setting: 2024 Benchmarking Update" Report to the Ontario Energy Board.

The OEB has issued a Final Notice of Amendment to the Distribution System Code to clarify that the 40-year revenue horizon applies only to residential customers by removing clause (b)iii from Appendix B. This amendment comes into force immediately.

The OEB will hold a webinar on Aug. 28, 2025, to provide more information about its Innovation Sandbox Challenge: Empowering Indigenous Innovation and Leadership.

The OEB has launched a consultation and working group to support a comprehensive assessment of the OEB’s Accounting Procedures Handbook. This initiative will provide a review of the OEB’s regulatory accounting procedures and requirements.

The OEB and IESO have released a joint study to further understand how compensation mechanisms for distributed energy resources can work together to enable better design and alignment moving forward. An engagement session will be held on Aug. 22, 2025, to discuss the study further.

The OEB has announced the membership of the newly established Distribution Customer Connections Working Group. The accompanying letter also addresses matters related to cost award eligibility.

The OEB is launching a comprehensive review of electricity transmitter processes and requirements for connecting load customers in response to the Minister of Energy and Mines’ Integrated Energy Plan Directive.  This review will assess the reasonableness of current timelines, identify opportunities to streamline the process, and explore improved coordination between transmitters and the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). The OEB is also considering the potential introduction of performance standards for transmitters, with a final report due to the Minister in December 2025.

The OEB has released the final drafts of the Vulnerability Assessment and System Hardening (VASH) Report and Toolkit for stakeholder feedback. These resources help distributors assess system vulnerabilities to extreme weather and evaluate hardening options.
Comments are due by August 29, 2025. Submission details are in Appendix A. Documents are available on the Engage with Us webpage. Final versions will be published in September 2025.

The OEB is amending its Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for electricity distributors as part of its Reliability and Power Quality Review initiative. These changes aim to provide greater insight into distributor performance during severe weather events and improve visibility into customer interruptions caused by issues in the host distributor’s distribution or transmission systems. The amendments will come into force on January 1, 2026.

The OEB has posted Price Comparison templates for Natural Gas Contracts for Utilities Kingston valid from August 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025.