On January 25, 2016, the Ontario Energy Board issued a Decision in response to the request from the
"Smart Metering Entity" (SME) for a five-year licence
extension. The OEB only extended the licence for one year, and set
out requirements for the SME to achieve in its next application,
including the collection of a broader range of electricity consumer
consumption data and a means for the public to have greater access
to this data.
The SME, which is part of the Independent Electricity System
Operator (IESO), was created almost 10 years ago under requirements
set out in the Electricity Act, 1998. The SME's
statutory objectives (as set out in s. 53.8 of the Electricity
Act) include the collection and management of information and
data related to the metering of consumers' consumption or use
of electricity in Ontario, and the provision and promotion of
appropriate non-discriminatory access to that information and data
by distributors, retailers, the IESO and other persons.
