Ontario Energy Board completes majority of green energy initiatives

TORONTO , Oct. 21 /CNW/ - The Ontario Energy Board (the Board) has, through amendments to the Distribution System Code (DSC) and the Transmission System Code (TSC), established new rules to allocate the cost of connecting renewable energy projects in a manner that promotes the connection of renewable resources while protecting the interests of ratepayers.

The amendments to the DSC, issued today, reduce the level of costs that renewable generators must pay to connect to distribution systems.

The amendments to the TSC, issued yesterday, facilitate the timely development of transmission "enabler" facilities designed to connect clusters of renewable projects and provide for renewable generators to pay for their pro-rata share of the cost of those facilities as they connect.

The new cost responsibility rules preserve incentives to encourage economically efficient connections.

With the release of these Code amendments, the Board has now completed a majority of its current green energy initiatives.

Other initiatives that have been concluded relate to: (i) the allocation of capacity to connect renewable generation projects to distribution systems; (ii) the billing and settlement of renewable generation projects that have a contract issued under the Feed-in-Tariff program; (iii) initial guidance on distribution system planning; and (iv) the accounting treatment of renewable generation facilities owned by electricity distributors.

Together, these initiatives contribute to an integrated approach to investment, planning, and cost allocation and lay the framework for appropriate and reliable electricity infrastructure development consistent with the Board's objectives, including its new objectives under the Green Energy Act.

The Ontario Energy Board regulates the province's electricity and natural gas sectors in the public interest. It envisions a viable and efficient energy sector with informed consumers and works toward this vision through regulation that is effective, fair and transparent. For more information on the Board, please visit our website at www.oeb.gov.on.ca or contact the Consumer Relations Centre at the numbers below.

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For further information: Media Inquiries: [phone], Paul Crawford, Vanda Wall, Ontario Energy Board; Public Inquiries: [phone] Or 1-877-632-2727