Ontario Energy Board approves “Must Offer” Agreements
October 29, 2020
Ontario’s electricity market contains certain safeguards to help protect against any market participant manipulating the markets or interfering with competitive outcomes. After Ontario Power Generation (OPG) purchased additional natural gas-fired facilities, increasing their market footprint, the Ontario Energy Board attached “must offer” conditions to the generating licenses of OPG and its subsidiary Portlands Energy Centre L.P., also known as Atura Power. These conditions strengthen existing safeguards by requiring OPG and Atura to offer all of their available generation capacity into Ontario’s electricity market to prevent the potential abuse of market power.
Last week, the OEB approved agreements between the IESO and OPG, and between the IESO and Atura, which establish a process for assessing ongoing compliance with the must offer conditions. More information on the agreements can be found in an IESO Backgrounder or on the OEB web site.