On July 7, 2016, the Ontario Energy Board staff (OEB staff)
issued a Staff Bulletin indicating that electric
vehicle (EV) charging services are not subject to OEB regulation.
According to OEB staff, EV charging services (including charging
stations) should be treated as competitive products and services
for which no OEB licence is required. OEB staff also note that
electricity distributors may be permitted to own and operate EV
charging stations, because these are services to assist the
Government in achieving its electricity conservation goals.
The Staff Bulletin was issued in response to a
number of inquiries. As noted by OEB staff, the interest in EV
charging services is increasing in response to the parts of
Ontario's Climate Change Action Plan that target
significant increases in electric vehicles in the coming years. The
Action Plan promotes a shift to electric and hydrogen vehicles and
establishes a province-wide target of electric and hydrogen
passenger
