Active Engagements

Multiple engagements will be discussed over the course of these meeting dates, grouping engagements by topic to maximize stakeholder participation and create linkages and information sharing across initiatives. Participants can participate in all discussions or elect to participate in only some.

Next Meeting | December 15 and 16, 2021

Multiple engagements will be discussed over the course of these meeting dates, grouping engagements by topic to maximize stakeholder participation and create linkages and information sharing across initiatives. Participants can participate in all discussions or elect to participate in only some.

The upcoming summit will focus on current trends, drivers and opportunities for various consumer segments among the power sector.

The system conditions in the Northwest region of Ontario have impacted the export capability from this region. In August 2021, the IESO began to apply adjustments to interchange scheduling limits on the Manitoba and Minnesota interfaces to reflect reduced Ontario export capability. The IESO is proposing to add clarifying language to the market rules specifying when internal transmission constraints will be considered by the IESO in setting intertie flow limits.

Feedback due | Dec 10, 2021

Regional electricity planning in the Chatham-Kent/Lambton/Sarnia (CKLS) region is underway. This engagement initiative will provide interested parties with an opportunity to offer input for consideration during the regional planning process.

The IESO, with support from Natural Resources Canada, is undertaking a demonstration in York Region to explore market-based approaches to secure energy and capacity services from distributed energy resources (DERs) for local needs, while coordinating across the electricity system.

The 2021-2024 Conservation Demand Management (CDM) Framework will include a new customer focused program in 2022 for large transmission and distribution connected industrial consumers.  The program is anticipated to enable large industrial consumers to specify funding needed to meet capital hurdles, or other business case requirements for large complex projects.

The IESO intends to develop and release a series of white papers called the Innovation and Sector Evolution White Paper Series. These white papers are intended to support the creation of a shared, fact-based understanding of emerging economic, technical, environmental, and social issues, opportunities and trends.

This engagement will seek input from stakeholders on the method and phase-in strategy to be used to apply charges to proponents who seek to make a change to Ontario’s electricity system  such as for new or modified facilities.  While some charges are paid directly by the proponent, others are currently recovered from all loads in the province on a volumetric basis through the IESO’s usage fees. The IESO intends to begin charging these costs to the proponent initiating the change.  Since this initiative will result in a change to an IESO administered fee, OEB approval will be required prior to implementation.

Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) have emerged as a major trend impacting the electricity grid and wholesale electricity markets. The IESO understands that effectively enabling DERs will provide significant benefits to the electricity grid, to consumers, and to the environment. The IESO is thus seeking to gain a better understanding of DERs, including their ability deliver system services, their cost effectiveness, and the most appropriate pathways to enable their uptake.

Feedback due | Dec 14, 2021

Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) have emerged as major players in the electricity sector in Ontario and across jurisdictions around the world. Ontario communities are increasingly expressing preferences for the source of their energy, and DERs can provide them with an opportunity to express and realize those preferences. The IESO is thus seeking to determine how to cost-effectively enhance the value DERs can provide to Ontario’s electricity system by expanding participation in the wholesale markets.

The DER Roadmap engagement will establish IESO objectives, initiatives and timing for DER integration. The Roadmap will be developed with stakeholder input and with regards for other key IESO initiatives (e.g. Resource Adequacy and Enabling Resources Program), and will clearly articulate the IESO’s actions for integrating DERs and can also be used as a tool to help ensure coordination across the sector. 

The IESO intends to discuss and seek feedback from stakeholders on an issue related to Operating Reserve (OR), whereby the amount of OR scheduled is not fully accessible.

The IESO informs stakeholders of system operating conditions through advisory notices and operating states. This engagement will review what the IESO communicates to stakeholders through these channels with the goal being to improve awareness of system operating conditions.

The Energy work stream of the Market Renewal Program will improve the way electricity is priced and scheduled in order to meet Ontario’s energy needs reliably, transparently and efficiently. This engagement is focused on developing the specific changes and details required in the detailed design phase of work to implement the Energy stream enhancements in the IESO-Administered Market.

With the completion of the final high-level design documents, work is underway to finalize the detailed design documents. This engagement will focus on the translation of these designs into rules, manuals, processes and tools as part of the implementation phase.

Next webinar | Dec 15, 2021

The IESO proposes to update Appendices 4.15 and 4.16 to enable generators and transmitters to install phasor technology infrastructure and provide phasor data to the IESO. The proposed changes are intended to align with requirements in other North American ISOs and RTOs. The IESO is seeking feedback from stakeholders on these proposed updates in Market Rule Appendices 4.15 and 4.16.

A bulk power system plan is being developed for Northeast Ontario to address system constraints affecting the ability to supply electricity demand growth in the area, and even more broadly throughout Northern Ontario. Driven by potential significant growth primarily in large industrial customers, this plan will examine upstream bulk system impacts to the Northeast area and develop a plan to address identified needs.

The IESO is seeking feedback from stakeholders on the development of participation model(s) to enable hybrid resources in the IESO-administered markets and have the capability to support Ontario’s future system needs. The changes will be implemented after the implementation of the Market Renewal Project.

Next webinar | Dec 16, 2021

The IESO is seeking feedback from stakeholders on the development of 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.

Next webinar | Dec 16, 2021

The IESO invites feedback to aid in the development of an IESO competitive transmission procurement process. During the development of this process, the IESO will seek feedback from a broad spectrum of parties with an understanding of transmission procurement and/or transmission development, whether in Ontario or in other jurisdictions, or those parties with an interest in participating in Ontario’s competitive transmission procurement process.

The IESO is engaging stakeholders to further develop a long-term competitive strategy to meet Ontario’s resource adequacy needs reliably and cost-effectively while recognizing the unique needs of different resources.

Feedback due | Dec 14, 2021 and  Next webinar | Dec 15, 2021

The IESO is seeking feedback from communities and stakeholders on the design of a formal integrated bulk system planning process.

The future of gas generation in Ontario has become a focus of discussion for a number of municipalities, raising questions and concerns from stakeholders about the challenges and opportunities these discussions have raised.  The IESO is looking to inform future discussion about the implications of a phase out of natural gas generation in Ontario. This engagement will result in the development of a technical assessment that outlines the implications of lowering emissions by reducing the reliance on natural gas generation.

Regional electricity planning has commenced for the Barrie/Innisfil sub-region. This engagement initiative will provide interested parties with an opportunity to offer input for consideration as the process is underway on the development of an Integrated Regional Resource Plan (IRRP) anticipated to be complete in Q2 2022.

Regional electricity planning in the North/East of Sudbury region is underway. This engagement initiative will provide interested parties with an opportunity to offer input for consideration into the elements of the regional planning process.

Regional electricity planning in the Niagara region is underway. This engagement initiative will provide interested parties with an opportunity to offer input for consideration during the regional planning process.

Regional electricity planning is now underway for the Northwest Ontario region. This engagement initiative will provide interested parties with an opportunity to provide input to inform the Scoping Assessment Outcome Report which will define the scope, characteristics and timing to develop a long-term electricity plan.

The regional planning cycle for the Ottawa Area sub-region was completed in February 2020 with the posting of an Integrated Regional Resource Plan (IRRP) for the sub-region. Subsequent to the release of this IRRP, the Technical Working Group will undertake an IRRP Addendum Study, which will integrate with the IESO’s ongoing Bulk Transmission Study. Opportunities for engagement will be identified as the studies develop.

Regional electricity planning has commenced for the Parry Sound/Muskoka sub-region. This engagement initiative will provide interested parties with an opportunity to offer input for consideration as the process is underway on the development of an Integrated Regional Resource Plan (IRRP) anticipated to be complete in Q2 2022.

Regional electricity planning in the Peterborough to Kingston region is underway. This engagement initiative will provide interested parties with an opportunity to offer input for consideration into the elements of an Integrated Regional Resource Plan (IRRP) anticipated to be complete in Q4 2021.

The regional electricity planning cycle for Windsor-Essex was completed in September 2019 with the publication of a long-term electricity plan - Integrated Regional Resource Plan (IRRP).  Engagement will continue on an Addendum Study that is examining specific electricity infrastructure in the Town of Kingsville and Municipality of Leamington, expected to be complete in Q3 2020.

This engagement will review IESO and Hydro One's practices on how transmission losses are considered in planning and operation of the system, a comparison of these practices to those used in other jurisdictions, and seek stakeholder feedback on potential improvements to these practices.