Enabling Resources Program

Based on stakeholder feedback received through various engagements and the Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC), the IESO has identified a need to revise its approach to engaging with stakeholders on enabling emerging and evolving resource types. This will capture not only research from the engagement on Expanding Participation in Operating Reserve and Energy (EPOR-E), but learnings from other forums such as the Energy Storage Advisory Group and Demand Response Working Group, and projects such as the Storage Design Project and the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) white paper series. This expanded engagement is the Enabling Resources Program.

The Enabling Resources Program will produce an integrated plan that will outline the sequencing, timing and scope of activities to be undertaken by the IESO to enable existing electricity resources to provide electricity system services in the renewed Ontario wholesale market that they cannot, or cannot fully, currently provide. The plan will consider:

• The timing, quantity (MW), and capability, that would be made available by each enablement opportunity;
• The timing and magnitude of forecasted system needs;
• Potential interrelationships between enablement opportunities; and
• IESO capacity for additional initiatives.

It is expected that a number of distinct projects will be launched under the Enabling Resources umbrella to realize priority resource enablement opportunities. In the interest of continued progress, the IESO will also host parallel engagements to support the scoping of solutions on two resource enablement opportunities: market integration of hybrid storage-generation resources and the DER Roadmap (with the Enabling Resources plan to determine timeline for implementing solutions).

The IESO encourages all interested parties to participate in this engagement. The IESO anticipates that this initiative will be of particular interest to current and prospective market participants and resource developers. To be added to the email list for communications related to this engagement or to submit comments and enquiries, please email engagement@ieso.ca.

Related Information

Draft Engagement Plan

EPOR-E Report: IESO Participation Requirements, and Misalignments with Models of Participation

Energy Storage Design Project Long-Term Design Vision

Schedule of Activities

Anticipated timing for this engagement is presented below.