Ontario Consults On Removing Timing Requirements For Next Long-Term Energy Plan

On July 27, 2020, the Ontario government issued a proposal to remove the timing requirements for releasing Ontario's next Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP) by revoking Ontario Regulation 355/17 (the Long-Term Energy Plans Regulation). The Long-Term Energy Plans Regulation, made under the Electricity Act, 1998, establishes the timeframe for releasing LTEPs. Under the current regulations, Ontario must issue the next LTEP by February 2021.

The LTEP process had previously been updated in 2016. At that time, the Ontario Legislature passed the Energy Statute Law Amendment Act, 2015 (also referred to as Bill 135). The legislation amended the Electricity Act, 1998 to give the Minister of Energy, rather than the IESO, the responsibility for developing an LTEP.  The update removed the requirement that each LTEP must be reviewed by the OEB, as was the case prior in respect of the integrated power system plan (see our discussion here). The Long-Term Energy Plans